A bomb threat led to the evacuation of an EY South Africa office in Sandton, Johannesburg earlier today, but authorities allowed employees to return to work later in the afternoon after finding nothing suspicious during a search of the building.
Due to a safety concern, we are currently evacuating our Johannesburg office at 102 Rivonia Road, Sandton. Expect road closures on Rivonia Road. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
— EY Africa (@EY_Africa) March 25, 2019
Elaine Jack, manager of the Sandton Central Improvement District, told several media outlets that a bomb threat was called into EY and employees were forced to evacuate. The incident happened around 1 p.m. local time. Financial services company Alexander Forbes, which is located next to EY, was also evacuated as a precautionary measure.
According to TimesLIVE, police sent the bomb squad into the building around midday after sirens went off and an announcement was made letting employees know to leave immediately. One employee told TimesLIVE that around 2,000 people were standing outside the building while it was being searched by police.
https://twitter.com/ms_nkuna/status/1110131469073170438
South African Police Service Capt. Kay Makhubela later confirmed to TimesLIVE that nothing was found in the building and employees were allowed back in a couple hours later.
The safety concern at our Johannesburg office, 102 Rivonia Road, Sandton, has been resolved. The building is now accessible. Thank you for your cooperation.
— EY Africa (@EY_Africa) March 25, 2019
As of now, no arrests have been made.
