Mataura flooding: Potential toxic spill threatens as river rises

In Southland extreme flooding has continued to cause havoc across the region for another day.
In Mataura, halfway between Invercargill and Gore, residents are angry after the looming threat of a volatile toxic compound became a reality today.
Authorities says toxic ammonia gas is likely to be released when flood waters saturate around 10,000 tonnes of ouvea premix being stored at the mothballed Mataura papermill. It is a potentially toxic by-product from aluminium.
The first residents were evacuated early on Wednesday morning, but soon after the entire town was told to immediately leave due to threat from the flood water.
But they now believe it was because of the risk of toxic gas.
RNZ Otago-Southland reporter Timothy Brown has spoken to evacuated residents at the Edendale Presbyterian Church, who feel they are being kept in the dark and aren't getting the full story.