Cordon lifted in ACC white powder scare

Cordons put in place after a white powder scare in central Wellington today have been removed.

Emergency services evacuated the Wellington headquarters of ACC in Molesworth Street, Thorndon, about 12pm after two employees in the ACC mail room opened mail containing a white powder.

Several shops and cafes in the same area were closed as the cordon extended.

Incident controller Simon Perry said 12 employees had been decontaminated and none appeared to have had their health affected by the powder.

The building had been handed back to ACC with the exception of the mail room and reception area on the ground floor, which would remain cordoned off until the powder was identified.

The powder had been taken to the ESR for analysis. Mr Perry said he was unsure how long the testing would take.

- NZPA