Serious crash near Lake Rotoiti

A fire truck and ambulance being let through the cordon at the intersection of SH30 and 33. Photo / Andrew Warner

UPDATE:

A photographer at the cordon said one ambulance and one fire truck had left the scene.

A rescue helicopter had also flown overhead.

A St John spokeswoman told the Rotorua Daily Post three patients have been transported from the crash scene.

One critically injured person had been airlifted to Starship. Two seriously injured people have been transported by road - one to Rotorua Hospital and one to Waikato Hospital.

EARLIER:
Emergency services are attending a crash on State Highway 30 near Lake Rotoiti this afternoon.

A police spokeswoman told the Rotorua Daily Post police, fire and ambulance services were attending.

Police were called at 3.34pm by the fire service.

A St John spokesperson said there were three ambulances and a rescue helicopter at the scene.

There were two people with serious injuries and three people with moderate injuries but no one had been transported yet.

Police have cordoned off the Whakatāne turnoff at the intersection of SH30 and SH33. Photo / Andrew Warner

The spokesperson said the seriously injured people may be airlifted out but ambulance officers were still assessing patients.

Police say motorists are advised to avoid the area and use State Highway 32 and then State Highway 2 if travelling to Rotorua.

Diversions will be in place.

NZTA has advised on its Facebook page that the road is closed.

SH30 TIKITERE TO KAWERAU, BAY OF PLENTY - CRASH - FINAL UPDATE 9:05AM, SUN 15 DEC This crash was CLEARED and the road...

Posted by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Waikato BoP on Friday, 13 December 2019

There was no information yet on the number of vehicles involved at this stage.

More to come.