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The principal of an Auckland intermediate school has confirmed a Year 8 student died on its grounds this week.
“Our thoughts and support go out to the fami
Chris McKeen/Stuff
Emily Kendall smelled smoke and went outside, to find it was “raining ash”. “I noticed the smell was becoming really strong, so I went to the window to look outside and all I could see was dark smoke,” she said. Kendall’s driveway, garden, car and the exterior of her home were covered in ash. “A lot of us went outside to see what was going on, and it was raining ash. “There were cindered pieces of ash and some white little furry things. I didn’t realise as it was happening, but it was flakes of asbestos.”
When an Auckland school classroom went up in flames in December last year, exploding asbestos over neighbouring houses, five separate government agencies were involved. Yet stressed residents dealing with the aftermath on their homes say the response felt chaotic and uncoordinated; even local MPs who got involved couldn t get the information they wanted. Hundreds of thousands of buildings in New Zealand contain asbestos. Homes, schools, hospitals, offices, factories. It’s largely safe when contained, but potentially harmful when disturbed, particularly when that’s caused by fire, which can make the asbestos panels explode. Nikki Mandow wonders if the Ponsonby Intermediate School fire is a wake-up call for a future - potentially worse - asbestos disaster. And if so, is anyone listening?