Authorities of Calcutta’s iconic Indian Museum on Friday received an email claiming bombs were planted inside, prompting police to launch a search operation at the over 200-year-old repository, officials said.

Personnel of the bomb squad of Calcutta Police are carrying out a search and sanitisation operation at the museum, they said.

Public entry inside the museum has also been put on hold for now, the officials said.

"The threat mail stated that several bombs were planted inside the Indian Museum, and those would explode any moment. A thorough search of the museum building is underway," a senior police officer told PTI.

Apart from the bomb squad, sniffer dogs, a quick response team (QRT) and a huge contingent of police have been positioned in and around the building in central Calcutta, he said.

The cyber section of police has also started a probe to trace the source of the email, the officer said.

Founded in 1814, the Indian Museum is the earliest and the largest multipurpose museum not only in the Indian sub-continent, but also in the Asia-Pacific region, as per information on its website.

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