Ohakune Mountain Rd leads to Turoa skifield. (NZ Herald)

Road re-opens after bus crash in Ohakune

Publish Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2018, 3:20PM

Helicopters have airlifted several people to Waikato Hospital - one of them a woman in a critical condition - after a shuttle bus rolled near the Turoa Ski field on Mt Ruapehu.

There were 31 people on the bus when it rolled. half way along the Ohakune Mountain Road heading downhill just after 2.30 this afternoon.

A St Johns spokesperson says most of those on board have minor injuries and have been taken to a triage base in Ohakune.

Around a thousand people have spent the afternoon stranded on the mountain because of the blocked road, but the road is now open again.

At 2.36pm, police were told that the vehicle had rolled halfway down Ohakune Mountain Rd, which runs to Turoa skifield.

A woman suffered critical injuries in the crash and five other people had moderate injuries. The people with serious injuries were flown to Waikato Hospital while the majority of other people had minor injuries and were being treated at a triage centre set up in Ohakune.

Ruapehu Alpine Lifts said the bus was carrying passengers downhill from the Turoa ski area when the incident happened.

Newstalk ZB journalist Daniel Walker is stuck at Turoa's base cafe.

Staff are handing out free hot chocolate and coffee to some of the hundreds of weary snowbirds stuck on Mt Ruapehu, he said.