David White/Stuff
About 60 houses are inside the police cordon, set up as the bomb squad deals with an unexploded shell found at a house in Pukenui Rd, Epsom.
Central Auckland residents have been evacuated from their homes as a bomb disposal unit deals with an unexploded ordnance, police have confirmed.
A spokesperson confirmed police received a report of an old mortar shell found at a house in Pukenui Rd, Epsom, on Thursday evening.
Nearby properties have been evacuated as a precaution, the spokesperson confirmed and police advise members of the public to avoid the area while the incident is resolved.
Police and the Defence Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were on the scene from about 6pm.
READ MORE:
* Who is responsible if the worst happens in tunnels under an Auckland maunga?
* The strange smell that lingers over one of Auckland’s historic military sites
* What lies beneath one of Auckland’s most prominent landmarks? The mystery that just won’t go away
David White/Stuff
Jono Pryor was walking his cavoodle puppy Milo when the police cordon was set up.
Local man Jono Pryor was out walking his cavoodle puppy, Milo, at about 6pm on Thursday when police arrived and set up a cordon. Along with other residents, he had to wait outside the taped off area for almost three hours.
“All the neighbours are standing out on the street, waiting to be let back in,” said the TV and radio host.
He said he hadn’t heard any explosions, but it had been “an eventful Thursday night”.
The cordon was lifted at about 9pm. Police will re-establish the cordon on Friday morning before they attempt to deal with the unexploded ordnance.
A local, Cameron de Lile, lives one house back from the cordon, which he said stretches across Gladwin Rd, Pukenui Rd and Ngaroma Rd.
According to de Lile, about 60 houses also couldn’t be accessed while the incident was ongoing.
David White/Stuff
Police cordon set up after a report of an unexploded mortar shell at a house in Pukenui Rd.
“The cop told someone on our street she had to stay with friends tonight, wasn’t even allowed into her house quickly to grab stuff,” he said.
People outside the cordon aren’t panicking at current, said de Lile, but there is a sense of frustration at not being able to access their homes.
“I imagine those closer to it are a bit worried.”
MORE TO COME…
Discussion about this post