Police and ambulance staff at South End School in Carterton yesterday. Witnesses described seeing a grey and white or red and white plane, possible a Cessna, flying near the school between 1.30 and 2.30pm yesterday. Speculation was rife in the community that the plane was the cause of the contamination. During the incident, children and teachers were locked at the school until 8pm so they could be decontaminated leaving parents worried and the community stressed. Reports of a plane dropping something over the school were unable to be substantiated, school board chair Brian Chin said.

Source: Otago Daily Times September 22, 2018 02:36 UTC