Police Give All-Clear After Bomb Scare Forces Evacuation of Two APUA Facilities

Staff at two Antigua Public Utilities Authority facilities were evacuated on Thursday morning after authorities received reports of a potential bomb threat, temporarily halting customer service operations across the utility until police completed their security sweeps and issued the all-clear.

The incident affected APUA’s former head office at Cassada Gardens and the APUA Business Centre on Independence Avenue. As a precautionary measure, employees at both locations were immediately evacuated while police officers conducted security sweeps of the buildings.

Police subsequently cleared both facilities and issued the all-clear after determining there was no threat. Operations at APUA are expected to resume following the incident.

Customer Services Temporarily Disrupted

The bomb scare caused temporary disruptions to APUA’s customer service operations, including bill payment services and the Information Centre, which affected responses to the 211, 311, and 411 services.

APUA apologised to customers for the inconvenience and thanked the public for its patience and understanding while emergency protocols were implemented.

The incident comes not long after APUA was already dealing with the aftermath of a significant fuel leak at its former Friars Hill facility earlier this month — a separate emergency that prompted a multi-agency environmental response. Thursday’s bomb scare adds to what has been a challenging period for the public utility.

No individual had been arrested or charged in connection with the bomb threat at the time of publication. Police investigations into the source of the threat are expected to continue.