Hundreds of tenants of a 23-storey building in central Durban were evacuated following a bomb scare on Thursday morning.

Police officers‚ including members of the explosives unit‚ were called to Commercial City. The area houses the offices of a number of provincial departments‚ including arts and culture‚ agriculture and rural development‚ health and home affairs. It also houses offices of the ANC and the Public Protector.

This bomb scare comes only hours after hundreds of shoppers and employees at the Cornubia Mall in Mount Edgecombe were evacuated following a bomb threat earlier on Thursday morning.

Commercial City’s operations manager‚ who identified himself only as Lenny‚ said he was notified of the bomb threat by a tenant‚ a college on the seventh floor.

"The college received a phone call from someone who told them there was a bomb in the building. They called us and we decided to evacuate and call the police‚" he said.

Lenny said several hundred people had been safely evacuated from the building.

"The college was writing exams. I am hoping that it was just a hoax but we are waiting for the police to sweep the building‚” said police spokesman Thulani Zwane at the scene.

“Thankfully it was still early enough and the building wasn't full."