Fears that ‘‘one of Trumpy’s missiles might have went the wrong direction’’ spread through Waikouaiti after a loud ‘‘boom’’ rattled windows and floorboards yesterday.
A Waikouaiti resident said he was at his home near the beach when the ‘‘boom’’ rang out at about 10am.
‘‘It shook the ground here — police were everywhere.’’
He said residents had not received warning that someone was going to be letting off an explosive, but some local horse trainers had been told to keep their horses away from the area they were working in, because ‘‘there’s going to be a big one’’.
‘‘I don’t know, one of Trumpy’s missiles might have went the wrong direction or something,’’ he said, jokingly.
A police spokeswoman said officers were notified at 3pm on Thursday a piece of explosive ‘‘ordnance’’ had been found in Waikouaiti area.
They called in the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to assist.
An NZDF spokesman said the item was investigated and determined to be a quantity of emulsion-based explosive — typically used for industrial purposes.
The explosive was removed and disposed of in a safe manner, he said.
‘‘Anyone who discovers a potentially dangerous item, should always exercise caution until the item is deemed safe by an expert.
‘‘If you do discover something that might be dangerous, remain clear of the item and contact New Zealand police as soon as possible,’’ the spokesman said.