CHAPTER 19Karla called Jon and closed the school the following day. By nine the place was swarming with military and civilian personnel with all manner of electronic equipment in use. A mechanical driller rumbled in beside the crater and began drilling into the soil. By mid-afternoon, a man who introduced himself as a geology expert attached to the Auckland University declared that the area was safe and the school could reopen the next day. However, the field should remain off limits as the sinkhole was unstable and could sink further especially after the heavy rain that was predicted that evening.
He also stated that electronic probes had found no trace of unexploded material or any active burning beneath the surface. It appeared that the cavern and tunnels had all collapsed and suffocat
