Unknown bag blown up by bomb squad

The blast, at around 7.30pm, "may have alarmed some people", police said. Photo / Sarah Ivey, New Zealand Herald

An unattended bag which was discovered in an Inland Revenue building was blown up by the bomb squad in an operation which saw people forced out of shops and businesses in Hamilton for nearly five hours.

Police were alerted to a "suspicious bag" left in the public foyer of the IRD building in the city around 2.45pm yesterday. After initial inquiries failed to locate or identify the owner of the bag, police "took the precautionary approach" and made the decision to treat the bag as a potentially dangerous item, police said.

Staff were evacuated from the building and from nearby buildings on the corner of Victoria St and Bryce St, and cordons put in place around the area.

The New Zealand Defence Force bomb disposal unit was called in, and using a robot destroyed the bag.

The blast, at around 7.30pm, "may have alarmed some people", police said.

"We are grateful to the public for their cooperation as we took the necessary steps to ensure any possible risk was kept to a minimum," police said in a statement.

The remainder of the bag and its contents was taken away for forensic examination, to try to identify who left it in the building. CCTV footage would also be examined.

However, police said they were "satisfied" the bag contained no explosive material.