.png)
5 months ago
33
Melburnians in one suburb held their collective breath as a dramatic situation unfolded involving teams of police and a bomb disposal robot.
Parts of Moonee Ponds in the city's inner north were locked down on Saturday with trams diverted and police blocking off streets following a reported bomb threat, which turned out to be a hoax.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said authorities were alerted to reports of a suspected device in the early afternoon, with officers from the Bomb Response Unit attending the scene at Ascot Vale Rd.
Photos from the scene showed a bomb disposal robot rolling towards the suspect package, followed by officers in full protective gear. The area was later deemed safe shortly after 4pm.
Melbourne police dispatched their bomb disposal robot on Saturday afternoon in dramatic scene at Moonee Ponds
Heavily armoured police were also deployed to the incident which turned out to be a hoax
Pictures shared on social media, questioned why there were police 'everywhere'.
During the operation a 260m stretch of Ascot Vale Rd was closed between Moonee Ponds Junction, and Gladstone St.
The Route 59 tram was stopped between Stop 27 Essendon Tram Depot and Stop 41 Essendon Station, while the Route 82 tram was diverted via union Rd.
Locals held their breath and were kept outside the incident zone as traffic and trams were diverted from the area
Police said the incident was a confirmed to be a hoax and declared the area safe about 4pm
The RTE 477 bus was also diverted to Buckley St, Pascoe Vale Rd and Fletcher St for about two-and-a-half hours.
In August 2017, a similar scare caused traffic chaos for about four hours, after a bus driver alerted police of a suspicious package on his bus.
Authorities deployed a bomb disposal robot to investigate the package, however the scene was declared safe following a large-scale police operation.
English (US)