One dead in fiery crash

A person who died in a fiery crash south of Auckland will require forensic identification.

Emergency services arrived to find the vehicle engulfed in flames and the surrounding scrub on fire after it crashed on Ararimu Rd, off State Highway 1 between Drury and Bombay, about 9.50pm yesterday.

Senior Sergeant Duncan Hall of Counties Manukau police said the vehicle had left the road and went down "a reasonably steep bank in a bush scrub area''.

Firefighters put out the blaze before the sole occupant was found dead in the vehicle.

The body has been recovered but it was yet to be confirmed whether the deceased was a man or a woman.

"We've got a person who we believe the deceased may be, but we've yet to confirm that,'' Mr Hall said.

"Ongoing inquiries are going to have to be conducted to make a formal identification. There are a number of avenues that are open to us, the easiest would be either dental or DNA testing.''

Mr Hall would not reveal whether the person was a local until next of kin had been informed.

The police serious crash unit has completed a scene examination and the vehicle was removed from the scene overnight.

Mr Hall said the cause of the crash was yet to be determined and investigations were continuing.

The weather at the time was fine and the unlit rural road, which passes through hilly country, was dry.

- APNZ