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Bus crash tragedy: Six feared dead, some survivors emerge

Author
Rotorua Daily Post,
Publish Date
Wed, 4 Sep 2019, 12:43PM

Bus crash tragedy: Six feared dead, some survivors emerge

Author
Rotorua Daily Post,
Publish Date
Wed, 4 Sep 2019, 12:43PM

There are fears six people are dead after a bus rolled in bad weather on State Highway 5 at Ngatira, near Rotorua.

It is understood some passengers were trapped in the wreckage after the bus rolled and came to rest on its side. At least 15 passengers on the bus, which is believed to have contained Asian tourists, were treated for injuries at the scene.

Police have confirmed "fatalities" in the crash but cannot confirm the number at this stage.

A witness said the bus windscreen was shattered and people were sitting down by the coach.

More than 20 people were on board the bus at the time of the crash.

Survivors emerged from the crash site wrapped in blankets and being comforted by police officers.

Survivors from the bus crash are led away from the scene. Photo / Ben Fraser
Survivors from the bus crash are led away from the scene. Photo / Ben Fraser

Some survivors were taken to Rotorua's ambulance base, including one man who was limping heavily and had to be helped into a wheelchair. About 10 people were taken from a minivan into the building.

A Mandarin translator has arrived at the ambulance base from the Rotorua i-Site.

St John ambulance said one patient in a serious condition and one in a moderate condition had been airlifted to Waikato Hospital.

Another person with moderate injuries was flown to Tauranga Hospital, while three patients in moderate to minor conditions were taken by road to Rotorua Hospital.

Another 15 patients have been transported to a triage area for
further assessment.

Amanda Roberts arrived at the crash scene at the same time as the first fire engine and said she saw the white bus on its side in a ditch.

It did not appear otherwise damaged and there was no glass on the road.

Between six and eight people were outside the bus including a couple who "didn't look too good", she said.

The stretch of State Highway 5 where the bus had crashed was windy and the bus had rolled while approaching a bend.

The wet road had been "quite treacherous" this morning and most people had been driving carefully, Roberts said.

'People everywhere' at crash site

A crane is on its way to the crash scene to right the bus.

A police officer said they arrived at the site and found "people everywhere".

Five helicopters and three ambulances were sent to the crash scene between Waiohotu and Galaxy Rds.

Members of the Pūtāruru Volunteer Fire Brigade are among emergency staff at the scene.

A police officer told reporters at the scene: "It is a major crash, we've got people everywhere, you can't come any closer at the moment."

State Highway 5 is now closed between Tapapa (SH28) near Tirau and Ngongotaha (SH36), near Rotorua.

The bus rolled in wet weather on State Highway 5.
The bus rolled in wet weather on State Highway 5.

A spokeswoman for an Auckland-based international travel company said they had been contacted about a crash near Rotorua this morning.

"We received reports from our driver. At the moment we don't know the extent of things and we are busy trying to sort things out."

A spokeswoman from Kuranui Wilderness Lodge and Trophy Park said the crash was east of their premises and they had seen multiple police and ambulance vehicles going past and two helicopters.

St John ambulance confirmed it had been notified of the crash at 11.19am.

"We have dispatched five helicopters, three ambulances and a manager to the scene. We are assessing patients and will update with any further information as it comes to hand," St John said.

A reporter at the scene said traffic was backed up for hundreds of metres and drivers were being asked to turn around.

There had been persistent rain throughout the morning at the site, which is a 20-minute drive from Rotorua and there are patches of light surface flooding on the road.

A worker at Duncan Processors, a processing plant near the crash scene, said the area was quite remote.

Katrina Goossens, from the Glade Road House Cafe and Store on SH 5north of the crash scene, said they had had a few motorists stop in who had been turned away at the cordon.

"By the sounds of it, it's pretty serious. A few people who had passed it said they couldn't really see the bus, so sounds like it's slid off the road and is on its side, maybe down a ditch or something."

Motorists are advised to avoid the area.

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