A bomb threat shut down Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls Airport on Friday, causing the country’s president to abandon a planned speech at a renewable energy conference, according to an official.
Zimbabwean President Edson Mnangagwa was scheduled to speak at the conference in the morning, but “had to suspend his trip to allow for investigations which are already underway,” presidential spokesperson George Charamba said.
Authorities were unable to confirm rumors from local media that the president’s plane made a U-turn on its way to the summit.
According to Charamba, Fastjet airline contacted airport officials about an email sent “by a John Doe” claiming a “credible bomb/firearm threat” against Zimbabwe’s airports.
Security systems are “now on heightened alert,” Charamba said, urging people to be calm while investigations proceed.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe said that the incident had forced some flights to divert or delay landing, and more disruptions were likely “to allow for the continuous monitoring of the environment.”
While such incidents are unusual in southern African countries, a 2018 explosion in Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, Bulawayo, killed two people and wounded about 50 others during a campaign rally before the presidential election that year.
Mnangagwa, who said the blast occurred just “inches” from him, was unharmed.
But two vice presidents and other top officials were among the wounded, and two security aides later died from their injuries.
Two men who were arrested after the explosion were later freed for a lack of evidence.
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