Matura interrupted

Large police operation after bomb threat in Linz

Heavily armed officers are posted in the city center.(Bild: Harald Dostal)

A large contingent of police was deployed in the city center of Linz on Wednesday. A bomb threat was reportedly received at the Akademisches Gymnasium on Spittelwiese. At the time, A-level examinations were taking place and had to be interrupted. The lockdown of the school was ended at 4.35 pm. No suspicious objects or people had been discovered - the all-clear was given.

The school was quickly evacuated and the operation was completed after eight minutes. Little is known at present about the background to the threat. All available police forces were ordered to the city center. Bomb sniffer dogs and Cobra were deployed.

Heavily armed forces were deployed in the city center.(Bild: Harald Dostal)

The A-level exams for Ancient Greek, Croatian, Hungarian, Slovenian and Spanish were due to take place at the grammar school on Wednesday, but these were immediately interrupted after the threat was received shortly before 10am.

"That was almost surreal"
"It was almost surreal. I was writing my A-levels in Ancient Greek when the Cobra suddenly stormed in and urgently asked us to leave the building immediately over a microphone. At first I thought it was a rampage - it was a really bad feeling," an 18-year-old A-level student from Linz told the "Krone". In the meantime, the pupils were taken to the BRG Fadingerstraße.

A large contingent of police is on the scene.(Bild: Mario Ruhmannseder)

Residents asked not to leave their homes
The Spittelwiese area was cordoned off extensively and the residents of the neighboring houses were asked by megaphone to stay in their homes. A building belonging to Sparkasse Oberösterreich was also evacuated and the employees were taken to Bethlehemstraße.

Lisa Sigl, hotel manager of the Schwarzer Bär in Herrenstraße, told the Krone: "Our hotel is currently cordoned off, but fortunately most guests have already checked out. But the lunch business is of course suffering. We're taking the opportunity to take stock."

Half the city center was cordoned off.(Bild: zVg)

Threat received by the main station police station
The threat was apparently received by the main station police station by email and was specifically aimed at the Akademisches Gymnasium.  

377 people were in the building at the time. 250 were initially taken to Landhauspark, the rest were directed to Bethlehemstraße and later all were ordered to Fadingergymnasium. The search of the threatened building is currently still in full swing and is expected to take around two to three hours.

Edwin Bermoser, store manager of "Kleider machen Leute" in Herrenstraße, started work at 9.45 am. The police operation then started at 10 am. "This is the first bomb threat I've witnessed. I'm not afraid or worried." The all-clear was finally given in the afternoon; neither suspicious objects nor people were discovered.