Auckland’s Newmarket train station and nearby buildings were evacuated this afternoon after a fire, with one witness reporting a “big bang”.
Smoke could be seen billowing from a building nearby and up to eight fire trucks were reported to be on the scene.
Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) said several of its crews were attending “a large rubbish fire” in a basement car park. All people were accounted for, it said.
Fire investigators are currently at the scene.
Resident Georgina Fortes-Upoko said she was sitting in the courtyard at Newmarket station when she heard the alarm go off.
”Then I heard a big bang. All this smoke came out of the south side of the station where trains come from.”
Pictures show the damage left in the wake of the fire, which left witnesses shaken.
A witness told the Herald he heard loud muffled explosions behind him as he was sitting in his car inside the car park, ready to leave.
”I am pretty shaken. Around 1.30pm, I was walking back to my car. I was sitting inside speaking to someone on the phone.
“Then suddenly in the middle of the conversation, I heard four to five explosion sounds coming from behind me. I looked up in the rearview mirror and I saw big flames, the ceiling was moving, there was thick black smoke and dust started falling off.”
Remuera Road is now open in both directions. Newmarket Station is also now open.
— Auckland Transport Travel Alerts (@AT_TravelAlerts) April 18, 2023
Buses are now returning to their normal routes, including bus route 75.
Delays and possible cancellations are expected while any late running buses return to schedule. https://t.co/20bbgADBPE pic.twitter.com/z22HPGpd5e
It took a minute or two for the smoke to fill the entire area, he said.
”I was four rows away from the site of the fire.
”I quickly moved my car, I couldn’t see the exit, I felt boxed in. The smell of smoke was quite strong. Then firefighters came and directed me to the other exit.”
A stylist at the nearby YX Hair Salon told the Herald he had evacuated the building due to the fire.
“The fire is at the building’s ground floor ... the car park”, he said.
“There are about eight fire trucks outside at the moment.”
A resident of an apartment on the station square said they evacuated after the fire alarm went off. The glass doors in two shops in the square popped out and collapsed, he said.
All trains on the Auckland rail network were held in place due to the fire near one of the city’s biggest and busiest metro railway stations.
“Due to a serious incident requiring emergency service responders in Newmarket, Newmarket Station is being evacuated,” Auckland Transport said.
“Please expect delays and cancellations on Western, Southern and Onehunga Lines as some trains are held on the track.”
In an update at about 4.45pm, AT said Newmarket station was now open.
Remuera Rd was also is now open in both directions.
A passenger in Parnell said trains were evacuated.
Commuters were told to expect delays and police were also responding to the incident.
Due to the serious incident near Newmarket, part of Remuera Road between Broadway and Nuffield Street is closed. Please expect detours, delays and possible cancellations on bus 751, 75 and 781 services.
— Auckland Transport Travel Alerts (@AT_TravelAlerts) April 18, 2023
More updates to follow. https://t.co/txrcCVOwvu pic.twitter.com/1BYKzW8pki