Alappuzha: Police were deployed at a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Nooranad on Thursday afternoon following a hoax bomb threat targeting the premises.

The alert was raised at around 4:00 pm when an anonymous male caller contacted the landline telephone at Nooranad police station, claiming an explosive device had been planted inside the bank.

Officers immediately rushed to the scene, evacuated the premises, and secured the branch to carry out an initial inspection. No suspicious objects or devices were uncovered during the preliminary sweep.

Specialised units, including the local Bomb Disposal Squad and a police sniffer dog unit, were dispatched to conduct a full forensic search of the building and surrounding area.

Local law enforcement confirmed that an investigation has been launched alongside cyber crime specialists to trace the phone call and identify the individual responsible for the threat.