The family of bashed Martinborough man Peter Fisher have made a plea to locals not to take matters into their own hands.

A coroner's inquest today heard from a senior search and rescue expert who described the "chaos" at the disaster site when he arrived two hours after the building's collapse.

The inquest into the CTV deaths has heard of frustrations caused by delays and chaos in the hours after the catastrophe.

A Martinborough volunteer firefighter is in intensive care battling for his life after going to the aid of a group of young women.

A Papamoa man who was caught in a massive chip-heater hot-water tank explosion has emerged from a coma and is "doing really well" says his wife.

A man is in hospital with serious injuries after a over-heated chip heater exploded and destroyed the kitchen of a family home in Papamoa last night.

Engineers will today pack explosives into huge boulders that have closed Milford Rd in Fiordland, as residents face their fifth day cut off.

The severed foot of a man involved in a grisly accident at the Port of Tauranga this morning was transferred with him to hospital.

About 20 Hawkes Bay residents fought an out of control fire with spades and chilly bins of water near Mahia Beach yesterday.

An ex-MP was kayaking with a group on Wellington's harbour this morning when large swells tipped several into the water.

Emergency services responded rapidly and worked well together during the February 22 earthquake in Christchurch last year, an independent review has concluded.