'I was in shock': Students evacuated amid multiple bomb threats across NZ

A flurry of bomb threats has emptied a polytech and multiple schools across the motu. 

Tauranga City Council also received one, prompting an earlier evacuation of its Devonport Road offices.

In a statement, Auckland City Police Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said the ‘emailed threats to schools and other institutions’ appear to be low risk. 

“The Cybercrime team, supported by staff in other Police districts, have initiated an investigation and are working to determine the source of the emails.”

He urges anyone with helpful information to get in touch through 105 online or by phone. 

Also in a statement, the Ministry of Education’s Geoff Short said they’re there to provide support if needed. 

“We understand how disruptive and distressing these incidents can be and want to acknowledge the careful and considered way these schools are responding.”

“The impacted schools are following their established emergency management procedures, with the safety and well-being of students and staff top of mind,” he added. 

Ara Institute of Canterbury has confirmed it’s closed until further notice after being evacuated around 11 am. 

Student ‘Shelly’ told rova she was just sitting at her desk when it happened. 

“I heard someone mention a bomb threat… I wasn't sure if I heard them right. Then all of a sudden someone came in and told us that we needed to leave immediately and go home.”

She added that there wasn’t much information about what was going on. 

“All I know is there were police cars there, and they were assessing the situation." 

In a text message to students, Ara initially said it was working to assess the threat. 

“We are evacuating all campuses. Please leave your building now. Do not use the fire alarm,” it read. 

“After the shock wore off, it was a little bit scary that it actually could be true. But I think the situation was handled well and we all felt safe, and the evacuation was very swift," Shelly said.

Around the same time, Christchurch Girls' High School lifted an earlier lockdown with all students, staff, and persons accounted for. 

Whangaparāoa School in Auckland also received an anonymous bomb threat. 

It asked parents to collect their children from the school field by touching base with a teacher. 

“Even though we doubt the validity of the threat, we feel our role is to make sure that our children and staff are safe,” it shared online, apologising for the inconvenience. 

There are social media reports of Fairburn Primary School being evacuated too.

It’s not the first time bomb threats have been issued this year. In May, Police launched Operation Irena after a series of emails was sent to Auckland organisations, including Auckland University. 

A teenager in Invercargill was then arrested without incident and charged with two counts of threatening to kill/do grievous bodily harm.

No items of concern or explosive material were found, leading Police to believe the young person could not have followed through with their threats.

However, further arrests weren’t ruled out at the time.