16.04.2012 0
Provence & Côte d’Azur: Two bomb threats in Bastia
Bomb scare at Port Bastia
The bustling Corsican port was forced to close this morning after a bomb warning was raised at the island’s main harbour. The security alert left four ships stranded and created a mass of traffic disruption for busy traders and passengers hoping to catch an early ferry this morning.
According to a bomb disposal expert who was called to the scene, the alarm was raised just before 7am this morning, after an anonymous caller sent officers a tip off.
The area was cleared and ferry terminals were closed to allow security experts to survey the scene. Four ships, including a Corsican Ferries cruise liner and SNCM vessel, were caught in the disruption.
A second alert was sounded at one of the customs buildings on the south side of the city. The building was evacuated and residents nearby were kept in their homes during the extensive search. Officers found nothing suspicious.
It follows a spate of violence on the island. Just last week, a man was killed when an explosive device hidden in a bin was triggered; two men were the victims of a gruesome double murder the following morning; and a Muslim prayer room was also targeted in a “racial attack”.
Sarah Lloyd
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