A controlled explosion carried out by the New Zealand Defence Force rattled homes across Nelson this morning after a volatile gel explosive was found in a storage facility a day earlier.
Police said they were called to the facility at 11am on Thursday, after explosive gel, or power gel, was discovered during a clear out.
A police spokesperson said the site was cordoned off as a safety measure while the Defence Force was brought in to deal with the find.
"As a precaution given the potential volatility, the storage facility itself was cordoned overnight, and NZ Defence Force was notified," the spokesperson said.
On Friday morning, police warned the Nelson community to expect a loud bang, as a specialist Defence Force team moved into bush on Rabbit Island to dispose of the material.
Shortly after 9am, residents across the city reported hearing a boom and feeling their houses and windows shake.
A Tāhunanui resident around 5km from the explosion told 1News she had been chatting with someone when the blast hit.
"There was a boom and the house shivered. I knew it wasn't an earthquake, but I wasn't aware that there was going to be a controlled explosion until after the event," she said.
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