The false call to the National Clinical Hospital “Timofei Moșneaga”, where 65 rescuers and firefighters were mobilized with 11 units of transport on January 1, caused damage of over 7,000 lei to the state budget, while the bomb hoaxes at a shopping mall situated on Arborilor St in Chisinau led to costs of over 6,000 lei, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations has said. The rescuers and firefighters last year performed 383 operations following prank phone calls. As many as 48 operations based on false calls were performed so far this year, IPN reports.

The prank calls imply state budget costs for sending intervention teams to the scene, for mobilizing the personnel and fuelling the special vehicles. Among the phone calls that turn out to be false are primarily bomb scares, suicide attempts and threats to jump from height.

The Inspectorate calls on the population to behave responsibly and to call the 112 service only in real emergencies that endanger the life and health.

The 112 service is the common emergency telephone number in all the EU member states. In Moldova, it has worked round-the-clock since March 2018 and can be dialed free of charge by any citizen from a mobile phone or a landline.