312 Italian schools received the same email at 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday claiming a powerful explosive device with a remote detonator had been left in the building, and were evacuated as a precaution, Deutsche Welle reported, with Reuters and local media. Most of the schools were in Rome, with others in several major cities including Milan and Naples. No explosive device was found.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said there was no evidence to suggest a concrete danger exists and that the reports appeared to be part of a strategy aimed at causing alarm, and the cabinet held an emergency meeting that afternoon. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the threats were designed to sow terror for thousands of families, while cautioning they are not always the work of foreign countries or hostile entities. The same fake name was used in messages sent to newsrooms in Bulgaria and Ireland on Friday, and about 300 schools in Northern Ireland were also affected; whether the same sender was responsible was not immediately clear.