Bomb scare at Harvard prompts evacuations, cancels exam

A bomb scare at Harvard University today triggered emergency evacuations, interrupting final examinations, following unconfirmed reports of explosives at four sites on its campus and federal and state officials joining the probe.
"The Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) this morning received an unconfirmed report that explosives may have been placed in four buildings on campus: the Science Center, Thayer, Sever and Emerson Halls," a message on the University's website read.
"HUPD and Cambridge Police are on the scene. Out of an abundance of caution, the buildings have been evacuated while the report is investigated. Harvard's focus is on the safety of our students, faculty and staff. We will update the media when we have more information," it said.

Later, in an update on its website at 1:48pm EST, the university said: "Sever Hall and Harvard Yard are cleared and students may return. Science Center still closed.
"Thayer and Emerson Hall are cleared and students may return."
The university earlier said the report of bombs on campus remained unconfirmed. Federal and state officials have joined the probe, it added.

Authorities with Cambridge Police Department and school officers descended on four sites at the Ivy League school that included its science centre and freshman dorms.
"Alert: Unconfirmed reports of explosives at four sites on campus," the school said in a Twitter message.

"HUPD and CPD are on the scene and investigating," read another tweet.
Students, faculty and staff were sent e-mails and text messages, alerting them to evacuate the buildings shortly after 9 am (local time), the New York Daily News reported.
The Harvard Crimson, the school's daily newspaper, tweeted that students erupted in cheers when officials announced that final exams scheduled for the day had been cancelled.
Sever Hall is a red-bricked building erected in the late 1800s that houses classrooms and lecture halls. Thayer Hall is a student dorm.
The Science Center houses dozens of laboratories for multiple subjects, including astronomy, chemistry and physics. Emerson Hall, erected in 1905, serves as the home of the school's philosophy department.

The incident comes less than a month after Yale had a four-hour lockdown after an anonymous caller said his roommate was planning to shoot people on the campus.
State troopers from the K9 and bomb squads have responded to the scene, Massachusetts State Police said.