An Otago Polytechnic spokesperson confirmed they had received a security threat via email. An email and text message was sent to all staff and students. ‘‘We’ve evacuated students and staff already and are doing a walkaround. ‘‘The campus will be closed for the rest of the day.’’ Caregivers had also been contacted at the Te Pā Tauira student village. A similar threat from the same email address was understood to have been sent to other educational instiutions around New Zealand, including in Auckland, the spokesperson
said. The Hub building on Forth St is empty, with no crowds loitering. The message to students and staff said the evacuation was precautionary, advising those on campus to take their belongings and leave promptly and calmly. It added an update would be issued when campuses re-open. – Additional reporting by Allied Media
Otago Polytechnic, evacuation, security threat, email threat, Forth St, Te Pā Tauira, Auckland, students and staff