Explosion, Shots, People out on Streets. Major Incident in Strathmore, Near Wellington Airport -updated

/ January 27, 2015
Police cordoned off the end of Ahuriri St, to the east of Wellington airport

Police cordoned off the end of Ahuriri St, to the east of Wellington airport

Twitter users are talking about a major incident happening in the Strathmore area of South Wellington, close to Wellington airport.

Police confirmed they were in the area to break up a fight between gangs of youths, following reports (headline in Dom Post: “Youths in Street Fight”) that some were carrying knives, but are saying nothing about the source of a large explosion that was heard. The explosion was forceful enough to rock homes and set off car alarms.

Twitter user ‘Perkjobs‘ said:

Apparently a bunch of teens having a fight, a group ran off and then a massive explosion. Maybe homemade pipe bomb to scare the others?!?   source

Here’s what the Dom Post wrote:

The Dom Post's report

The Dom Post’s report

TVNZ – “bomb squad vehicle:

Ms Barlow, who lives on Ahuriri St, says she saw several police cars, both marked and unmarked, as well as what “looked like a bomb squad” vehicle.

Meanwhile, residents were saying that police blocked of the end of Ahuriri St.

Ahuriri St resident Kevin Cree said a lot of police cars cordoned off the end of his road last night.

This is what the police were saying the following morning (from the NZ Herald) If there was no fight – why did they close the street?

"no evidence"

“no evidence”

Speculation is rife that it was a home made bomb or meth lab, or that it may have been a terrorism related incident.

The following day (27 Jan)  allegations of a cover-up were starting to be made. Listen to residents talking about the explosion and the massive armed police response (including Armed Offenders Squad Officers) here http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/65442205/Explosion-in-Wellingtons-eastern-suburbs.

This is what people posted on the Stuff.co.nz Facebook page, the explosion seemed to come from Wellington airport:

wellington explosion

Take a look at the Wellington quake drum 23 hours and 27 minutes ago before this date stamp. Something was recorded. And it was followed by a fault for about 12 hours.

Wellington quake drum

Here’s what the people on Twitter were saying:

Update 27 January 2015:

Local residents spoke to the Dom Post:

Julia King said police had arrived without sirens, and disappeared again after 30-40 minutes. It was bizarre that so many people had heard it, yet nobody knew what the cause was, she said.

Another Ahuriru St resident said it was an explosion “like a sonic boom”. He had been told it was also heard in Lyall Bay, on the other side of Wellington Airport. “The windows shook – everything shook … within 20 minutes the street was full of people.

“Police blocked the end of the road but it was unclear if they found anything.

Also in today’s Wellington news

Axe attack victims named

The names of the victims of an Upper Hutt axe attack that left one dead and three injured, have been released.

Retimana Te Korou Nicholls, 36, of Maoribank in Upper Hutt, is charged with the murder of 55-year-old Sandra Guerin, wounding Kane Love and Thomas Guerin with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and assaulting Diane Misa on December 11.

Police found Guerin dead from axe injuries when they arrived at a house in Blueberry Grove, Timberlea, north of Wellington, at 8.45pm…

Read more:
* One dead in Upper Hutt axe attack
* Carnage as axe attacker stalks suburb
* Axe attack: Neighbour covered in blood

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