Asbestos-contaminated sand fears close dozens of schools in Australia

Playtime is canceled for 69 schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) on Monday morning thanks to a colorful but potentially risky batch of sand

Playtime is canceled for 69 schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) on Monday morning thanks to a colorful but potentially risky batch of sand.

Kmart and Target issued product recalls Saturday after samples of a widely used play sand were found to have traces of asbestos, forcing the schools to close, the state government said Sunday.

Inspections are underway and could “take days,” ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry wrote in a post on Facebook, adding that testing so far had come back “negative to airborne asbestos” from all schools. People who have been in contact with the sand do not require a clinical assessment, health officials say.

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) said there was a low risk that the asbestos could become airborne or fine enough for inhalation.

The recall follows a similar sand scare last week, sparking fears the playground drama is far from over.