Europe
15:52, 30-Apr-2019
New Zealand police find suspected explosive device in Christchurch
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New Zealand police have found a package containing a suspected explosive device and ammunition at a vacant address in Christchurch, according to a statement issued Tuesday. A man has been arrested.
Police cordoned off streets in the Phillipstown area of the city on New Zealand's South Island, with a bomb disposal team, ambulance and fire and emergency crews sent to the scene.
"Police have located a package containing a suspected explosive device and ammunition at a vacant address ... in Christchurch," district police commander Superintendent John Price said in a statement.
An explosives disposal unit rendered the package safe and a 33-year-old Christchurch man was arrested, the statement said. The police cordon was later lifted.
The New Zealand Herald said police were called due to "threats about an explosive device."
The discovery of the package comes after deadly mosque attacks in Christchurch in March that left 50 people dead.
(Cover image: Police officers and vehicles behind police cordon, in Christchurch, New Zealand, April 30, 2019. /Reuters Photo)