A 79-year-old Mossburn man has died after attempting to dispose of power gel at his address on Thursday (1 Feb).

The deceased man was later found at his address.

NZ Police Southland Area Commander, Inspector Mike Bowman, said old explosives, including gelignite and power gel, were very unpredictable.

“Old explosives can be extremely sensitive and unpredictable when handled, and it’s essential that you are aware of the risks”.

If you have old gelignite, power gel, or any explosives at your property and want it removed, do not attempt to handle/ dispose of it, he said.

That included not bringing it to a Police station.

Rather call Police, who will liase with NZDF’s bomb squad to help facilitate its safe removal from your property, he said.

You can contact Police by calling 105.