AUCKLAND, New Zealand – July 14, 2022
Carmel College Ends Lockdown After Student’s Hour on Floor
A 14-year-old student described lying on the floor in the dark for an hour during a lockdown at Carmel College. The school has since confirmed the lockdown has been lifted and all students are safe.
- Carmel College in Auckland went into lockdown for about an hour on Thursday afternoon.
- A 14-year-old student reported lying on the floor in the dark during the incident.
- The school confirmed all students and staff were safely accounted for after the lockdown was lifted.
- Police were reportedly on site during the lockdown, though the cause remains unclear.
Did Carmel College go into lockdown? Yes, the Catholic girls’ secondary school in Milford experienced a lockdown on Thursday.
A 14-year-old student recounted lying on the floor in the dark for an hour during the lockdown at Carmel College. The school, situated on the shores of Lake Pupuke on Auckland’s North Shore, serves students from Year 7 to 13.
The lockdown commenced at 1:55 p.m. An earlier message to parents stated the school was conducting a “real lockdown” from 2:13 p.m. The school advised parents against contacting staff to avoid further distraction from their focus on student safety.
Parents and caregivers were directed to the school’s website for updates.
Around 3 p.m., Principal Sarah Kemble announced that the lockdown had been lifted. She confirmed that “all students, staff and persons on-site are safely accounted for.” A further notification was planned for parents and caregivers to provide more details about the day’s events.
The specific reason for the lockdown was not immediately clear, though a parent mentioned that police were present at the school during the incident.
