Cordons have been lifted around a Porirua high school after "potentially volatile chemicals" were disposed of with a controlled explosion.
Emergency services were called to the incident at Mana College in Takapūwāhia at around 8.55am on Wednesday after the substance was found in a storeroom. The campus was emptied.
No one had been hurt, according to the school and police.
"All students are safe and under full supervision."
The NZ Defence Force’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team was called to the school, and they made the substance safe at a neighbouring park with a controlled explosion.
The "potentially volatile chemicals" were disposed of with a controlled explosion at a neighbouring park. (Source: 1News)
Students were released in stages by year level. Year 9 students were held in the school hall, where parents and caregivers could collect them in person.
The school said Year 9 students would not be allowed to leave on their own without confirmed consent. Caregivers who wanted their child to make their own way home had to reply directly to the school email giving explicit permission.
Students in Years 10 to 13 are being released immediately to head home.
The school said Te Whare Ako students were making their own arrangements, and asked parents to contact them directly for updates.
Second incident in as many days
Yesterday, a high school in Levin was also evacuated as a precaution after a potentially unstable chemical was discovered in a science laboratory.
Police were alerted at about 10.20am after a science technician found a flask containing a substance that was identified as potentially unstable at Horowhenua College.
Emergency services, including police, fire and ambulance crews, attended the school, while the New Zealand Defence Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called in to assess and remove the material.
That substance was also safely disposed of in the school’s back field at about 3pm, under the supervision of experts.
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