Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub-Editor: Joana Mihajlovska, Agency:  Newsflash

The Spanish police have evacuated a skyscraper and several stores in one of the busiest shopping areas of Madrid after receiving a bomb threat that later turned out to be fake.

The incident took place in the Spanish capital Madrid at around 2pm on 26th December.

Local media said the police got a call claiming there was a bomb placed in the Telefonica Building on Gran Via Street.

The Spanish National Police evacuated the building along with several shops on the surrounding Fuencarral Street but did not tell locals about the alleged bomb attack, according to reports.

Both Gran Via and Fuencarral are among the most important shopping areas in the Spanish capital and are often visited by tourists for their architecture.

Cops searched the building and confirmed that the bomb threat was fake before allowing citizens back in and the local shops to reopen.

The authorities are now investigating the incident to find out who made the call, but there have been no further reports on any arrests.

The building, Europe’s tallest skyscraper at the time of its construction, serves as the flagship store for the Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica. The building also has an auditorium and a telecommunications museum.

According to the newspaper La Razon, a recent study showed that Gran Via was the most commuted street in Spain and the third-most in Europe. (https://bit.ly/3hrUwvd)

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