'Massive explosions' as armed police swoop on residential Tauranga

A police dog and his handler seen walking railway tracks in Bureta this morning. Photo/Zoe Hunter

"Massive explosions" have been seen as armed police swoop on suburban Tauranga today.

Police have cordoned off a section of Ngatai Rd in Bureta.

A worker from a nearby business, who did not want to be identified, said police had let off some type of explosions earlier.

"There were massive explosions. Not gunshots but smoke."

Another witness said he heard what he thought were shots fired.

Armed police were directing traffic from the area as bystanders gathered.

Another man said he believed police had been searching a property on Ngatai Rd and had blocked off the other end of the road too.

A police spokeswoman said the Armed Offender Squad was involved in a "planned search".

She would not say whether the search was linked to yesterday's AOS call out, involving a man who died after being left at hospital, because the search was ongoing, she said.

Vale St in Otumoetai, Tauranga, has been shut off by armed police. Photo/Google

Another bystander said he had been stuck in traffic after cars had been directed around the blocked area.

"It is a bit scary," the man said.

The road was reopened to traffic at the intersection of Ngatai Rd and Bureta Rd just before 10am. Traffic was now flowing.

Two men who lived on Ngatai Rd said police were searching a house near where they lived. They did not know who lived in the house.

Armed police and a police dog and handler have been seen walking along rail way tracks in Bureta.