Community management bodies send out circulars listing ‘security measures before travel’
At least a dozen schools across New Zealand received bomb threats on Thursday, causing widespread disruption in what is believed to have been an overseas cyberattack. Many of the schools involved were either locked down or evacuated as a result.
The fresh wave of threats came on Wednesday, 24 hours after the hoax calls received by four New Zealand schools in Waikato, Thames and Gisborne on the North Island.
Cherie Taylor-Patel, president of New Zealand's Principal's Federation, told Radio New Zealand (RNZ) that she had spoken to the Ministry of Education, whose "understanding is that this was actually a cyberbot coming in from overseas".
New Zealand police said in a statement that they "do not believe there is a safety risk". However, authorities said that they were still investigating threats to schools in numerous areas of the country.
Tasman Area Commander Simon Feltham said they were speaking to "two young people" over a threat made against Marlborough Girls' College.
So far, there are no reports of explosive devices having been found at any of the schools targeted.
There was a similar incident in 2016, when schools across New Zealand and Australia received hoax calls that there were live bombs on the premises.
In 2018, an Israeli-American was jailed for 10 years by a court in Israel for making about 2,000 hoax threats in North America, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Denmark.
ALSO READ:
Community management bodies send out circulars listing ‘security measures before travel’
Humidity is expected to range between 10 per cent and 75 per cent today
Imagine a firm acting like a strict parent, setting all the rules and watching the clock
Customising sessions to meet each patient's needs is essential to successful music therapy
Learners just need to bring their own goggles, swimsuit, water – and most importantly the determination to learn, and willingness to clean the beach
Omar Al Marzouqi and cyclist Safiya Al Sayegh were the flag-bearers for the UAE at the opening ceremony
For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony is taking place outside the main stadium
In a social media post, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged its citizens to exercise necessary precautions