Police Seek Source Of Explosives

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31329, 28 March 1967, Page 14

Police Seek Source Of Explosives

(New Zealand Press Aseaeiatlon?

AUCKLAND, March 27.

Police investigating four loud explosions set off in Auckland on Saturday night will extend their inquiries to Waiouru military camp.

' An army officer today identified parts of thunderfiashes, which police recovered after the explosions, as being army property. Police interviewed two youths in the Otahuhu are* today in connexion with the explosions which ocurred at Newmarket, Epsom. and Mount Roskill. A police officer said it was

believed the thunderflashes originally came from Waiouru. One of the explosions blew off the. wheel hub cap of a car in Mount Albert road. All the explosives were thrown, from a car. Sergeant C. R. O’Hara, of Newmarket, said the police were concerned about the potential danger of the explosions to people and property. Police in the Newmarket station heard the first explosion about 6 p.m. It occurred at the corner of Balm street and Broadway—-about 300 yards away from the station. A witness noted the number of the car from which the explosive had been thrown. The explosion left a greyish area on the ground. The second thunderflash exploded about 9.30 p.m. near the Flamingo Restaurant, in Mount Albert road. The owner of a car nearby was in the restaurant at the time,

and later found that the explosion had blown off a wheel hub cap. Road dirt on the car had dropped to the ground. A third explosion was reported at Greenwood’s Corner, Epsom, about 10.50 p.m. A thunderflash had been thrown on to a footpath outside a grocer's shop. The fourth explosion was in the Belcher street, Mount Roskill, area about 11.5 p.m. Sergeant O’Hara said the police had retrieved parts of the outer casings of the thunderflashes. The explosives could do quite a bit of damage if they were thrown under cars, he said. Thunderflashes are used by the Army in manoeuvres to simulate battle conditions. They make a loud bang and give off a puff of smoke and some flame.

They are similar to a large cracker. Some have a pull-out fuse. They are usually made of cardboard and the explosive is tightly pressed in a casing.