Second evacuation after acid spill

Staff at transport company Mainfreight in Hamilton have been ordered out of buildings for the second time in two days.

Firefighters arrived about 7am today and the company buildings in the suburb of Te Rapa were evacuated.

By early morning six fire appliances were at the transport company, including two from Auckland -- a hazardous materials truck and the breathing apparatus tender.

A decontamination area had also been set up.

Firefighters were called back today when some of the nitric acid was found to have spread under a container. It began reacting and producing toxic fumes.

"Some of the spilled acid had gone under a container and it started reacting again this morning," Station Officer Bruce MacGregor said.

The hazardous materials truck holds special chemical suits to protect firefighters from toxic chemicals and fumes, Auckland Fire Service shift manager Paul Radden said.

It was unusual to send trucks from Auckland to Hamilton and they travelled to Hamilton with their lights and sirens on, he said.

Today's incident follows an evacuation late yesterday afternoon after a nitric acid spill.

Yesterday the poisonous and highly corrosive nitric acid leaked from a 200 litre drum as it was being unloaded.

That evacuation also closed part of Avalon Drive to traffic. Traffic was diverted down Foreman Road but police asked drivers to avoid the area completely.

Firefighters stayed at the scene for several hours last night but were called back early today.

Two firefighters were checked by ambulance staff last night as a precaution. They had applied sand and lime to neutralise the nitric acid.

- NZPA