Hospital Bomb Threat: Author Identified
Bomb Threat Disrupts Hospital Operations in Cipolletti, Argentina
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A false bomb threat triggered a tense evacuation at Pedro Moguillansky Hospital in Cipolletti, Río Negro Province, Argentina, causing important disruption and distress to patients. The incident,which lasted two hours,involved moving vulnerable individuals – including those in beds,stretchers,and wheelchairs – to the hospital parking lot while authorities investigated.
Hospital Evacuated Amidst False Alarm
The unsettling event unfolded when a bomb threat was reported to the hospital’s appointment scheduling cell phone. Despite the common occurrence of false alarms,the situation sparked considerable anxiety,particularly given the sensitive nature of a hospital environment. During the evacuation, a woman unexpectedly went into labor in the hospital courtyard, highlighting the precarious circumstances created by the threat.
“I can’t understand how people can exist to do these actions in such a sensitive place that has no empathy,” stated hospital director Mabel Raviola following the incident. “People do not go to the hospital because they like it. Who is in the hospital is wrong, looking for help and containment.”
After approximately two hours, patients were permitted to return to their rooms. Hospital staff immediately initiated two key processes: a comprehensive assessment of all patients’ well-being and the reopening of closed sectors, including the emergency room (Guardia). Simultaneously, an examination into the source of the threat was launched.
The Ministry of Health confirmed that Raviola filed a formal complaint regarding the false alarm, providing all available dialogue data to aid the investigation. “The person is identified, is from Cipolletti,” Raviola confirmed. Initial reports indicated the call originated from the municipal emergency center (109), but the hospital clarified the communication was directed to the hospital’s appointment cell phone, allowing for identification of the caller.
Further investigation revealed the perpetrator was a male patient currently receiving care at Pedro Moguillansky Hospital.
Legal Consequences of False Bomb Threats in Argentina
A false bomb threat is considered a public intimidation tactic and is legally defined under both the Contraventional Code of the Province of Río Negro (Article 51) and the Argentine Criminal Code (Article 211).
Penalties Under Provincial Law
Article 51 of the Contraventional Code addresses the “malicious employment of calls,” stipulating a fine or a period of arrest ranging from one to thirty days for those found responsible. The penalties are doubled if the false report unnecessarily mobilizes police, fire departments, health services, civil defense, or any other emergency response teams, disrupting their normal operations. Furthermore, the owner of the telephone line used to make the false report is also subject to these penalties.
Penalties Under National criminal Code
Article 211 of the Argentine Criminal Code carries more severe consequences, prescribing imprisonment for a term of two to six years for anyone who “to instill a public fear or raise tumults or disorders, makes signals, give alarm voices, threaten with the commission of a crime of common danger, or use other material means normally ideal to produce such effects.” This underscores the seriousness with which Argentine law treats actions that disrupt public order and safety through false alarms.