WELLINGTON, Dhu-AlQa'dah 15, 1437, August 18, 2016, SPA -- The New Zealand government launched an inquiry on Thursday into the contamination of a regional water supply that has left thousands of people sick with vomiting and diarrhoea, Reuters reported. The outbreak of campylobacter bacteria, a form of gastroenteritis, has affected around 3,000 people, officials said. About half of those are in the town of Havelock North on New Zealand's North Island, about 250 km (155 miles) northeast of the capital Wellington, where schools have been closed and medical facilities overloaded. "The situation in Havelock North is concerning," Minister for Health Jonathan Coleman said in a statement. "It is important that the public has confidence in their water supply." --SPA 12:04 LOCAL TIME 09:04 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w