One infant, three adults dead after crash in Bay of Plenty near Whakatāne

Motorists have been asked to avoid the area.

An infant and three adults are dead following a crash in the Bay of Plenty.

Police confirmed four people died following a collision between two vehicles on Tāneatua Rd, Tāneatua, around 3pm Sunday.

"Three adults and one infant died at the scene of the crash," a police statement said.

This morning, police said the Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination before reopening the road Sunday night.

Earlier, a St John spokeswoman said they transported three patients via ambulance to Whakatane Hospital. Two had minor injuries and one had moderate injuries.

Two rescue helicopters were also dispatched. One was stood down halfway to Tāneatua while the other landed but wasn't required to transport patients to hospital, the spokeswoman said.

Tāneutua is a small town in the Bay of Plenty region located south of Whakatāne.