Several Qantas staff have been taken to hospital following a gas leak at the airline's Auckland CBD office.
Qantas confirmed in a statement on Thursday that "several people at the Qantas Auckland office became unwell."
"Emergency services attended the scene and a number of people were taken to hospital in a stable condition," Qantas said.
Emergency services are trying to find the source of the fumes which has hospitalised 12 people in central Auckland.
Another 50 people were triaged on Thursday and Victoria Street West's Augusta House building cordoned off, after fire and police were called at around 9:30am on Thursday. The leak has now dissipated.
The smell is thought to have originated on the eighth floor of the 16-level building, before travelling to floors seven, nine and 10. All four floors were evacuated. Level 15 also self-evacuated.
At a media stand up near the scene, Fire and Emergency spokesperson Dave Woon said it's likely the source of the suspected gas leak was in the air conditioning system.
"I'm picking that's where it's originated from... but the smell is dissipated so whatever's happened is gone.
"I can confirm that the air conditioning people have been right through the building. They've shut the air con down. One of the reasons level 15 have moved on was it's getting a bit hot up there."
But Mr Woon said after running gas detectors through the building they "haven't found anything".
"We're not evacuating any more people."
"The EOD [bomb disposal] have arrived. They've got some more sensitive equipment."
Mr Woon says there's a small chance there never was a gas leak to start with.
A St John spokesperson says those who were hospitalised were experiencing "nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath".
Most of the patients were on level 8.
Once EOD have tested the building, Mr Woon says it won't take long before people can head back in to work.
"It won't take long to get people back in once we're happy."
Police have focused on keeping traffic moving throughout the situation.
Six ambulances are there, including three managers and one search and rescue officer.
A worker from the 14th floor of the building says they were told at around 10am that "there was the potential of chemicals being mixed in with the air con".
"So the air con was shut off for the whole building. They did more looking into it and people started apparently reported feeling ill."
A couple of the upper floors were evacuated earlier on Thursday but the rest of the building stayed in until around midday.
"Our air con was just shut off and then later we were told that the entire building was being evacuated. I don't know if it was more because the air con had been off all day or the gas was maybe in more floors."
An Auckland City Hospital spokesperson told Newshub the worst affected patients are in a minor to moderate condition and being assessed in the Emergency Department.
Newshub.
