New Zealand Defence Force have confirmed a marine marker flare was the cause of a loud explosion heard by locals this morning on Auckland's North Shore.
One resident who lives off Bounty Rd in Long Bay told 1News she heard a "big deep boom" before capturing images of a cloud of dark smoke rising into the air just after 9.15am.
In a statement, a New Zealand Defence Force spokesperson said its explosive ordnance disposal team responded to a request for assistance from police at Long Bay Beach today where "an item of concern was discovered".
"The item was investigated and determined to be a marine marker flare, which was disposed of in a safe manner," NZDF said.
Another commented online about the explosion on a local Facebook page, saying: "Dogs went nuts, hubby came flying down the stairs and outside. Was certainly a loud boom!! Glad it wasn't in the middle of the night."
Fire and Emergency New Zealand has been contacted for comment.
NZDF said anyone who discovered a potentially dangerous item should always exercise caution until the item was 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," they added.
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