Santa Ponsa evacuation after ETA bomb hoax

The Siesta Mar apartment block in Santa Ponsa was evacuated yesterday morning after the 112 emergency centre received a call in the name of the Basque separatists group ETA at 9.15 a.m. saying that there was a bomb in the building and that it was timed to explode at 11 a.m. The Guardia Civil bomb squad, two fire engines and police rushed to the apartment bloc, currently being renovated, and evacuated all the people working on the building as well as residents of neighbouring blocks before closing off the area to the public. Once the area was clear, bomb disposal experts and the police inspected the site - only to discover that the call had been a hoax. Police spent nearly two hours combing the building and withdrew from the apartment block shortly before the alleged time of detonation. Police waited until 11.25 before mounting a second inspection of the block, but again found nothing. Following the second search the police allowed builders back on to the site and neighbours were allowed to return to their homes. Last night police chiefs praised the efforts of the security forces involved, especially in the wake of the weekend's blasts on the mainland.