UPDATE:
Kamloops RCMP have reopened a section of the city’s downtown core following a false bomb threat on Friday morning.
Police said at 8:15 a.m., they received a report of an explosive device at the Thompson-Nicola Regional District Library at 465 Victoria Street.
Multiple police members reportedly responded, and a two-block section of Victoria Street, from the 400 block to the 600 block, was cordoned off, along with Fifth Avenue, from Seymour Street to Lansdowne Street.
Police said nearby businesses were evacuated and the area was cleared.
Police said the library and surrounding areas were searched with the assistance of an explosion detection police dog, but nothing was found.
Police added the investigation is ongoing and that no charges have been laid so far.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Police in Kamloops, B.C., have closed a section of the city’s downtown core as they investigate an unconfirmed report of an explosive device.
According to Kamloops RCMP Sgt. Kelly Butler, the 400 to 600 blocks of Victoria Street are closed, as is part of Fifth Avenue, from Seymour Street to Lansdowne Street.
This is the second explosive device report that Kamloops RCMP have dealt with in the past month.
In mid-December, bomb threats were emailed to several businesses in B.C.’s Interior, including Kamloops. The threats were part of a North America-wide scam, with the sender threatening to detonate a bomb if a cryptocurrency ransom wasn’t paid.
WATCH BELOW: (Aired Dec. 13, 2018) Bomb threats sent via email to businesses across Canada, US
The RCMP deemed those threats to be a scam, stating: “If you have been the recipient of one of these email threats, do not respond to the Bitcoin demand.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.
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