Blood drained from crashed tanker during rescue operation

Police are investigating the cause of the crash. Photo / File

After careering through a safety barrier, the driver of a truck chock full of animal blood remained moored in his cab for up to an hour as it dangled over a cliff.

Below him was the water of the Manawatu River and between him and the east to west torrent that cuts the mountain range was merely a trailer wedged against a rock.

The crash happened about 6pm last night as a heavy truck and trailer unit was heading through the gorge on State Highway 3, about 1.5 kilometres from the Manawatu end.

The driver, who was unharmed apart from a bump to the head, spent about an hour in his cab before Fire Service rescue workers got him out.

"The truck's right over the edge. The trailer's still on the road and the back of the truck's wedged against a rock," police Sergeant Pete West said.

"It's the only reason the truck didn't slide down."

SH3 through the gorge was down to one lane last night and was closed completely this afternoon, as a crane prepared to lift the truck from over the edge.

The thousands of litres of animal blood from an abattoir in the truck and trailer's tankers has been drained and transferred to another truck to make the vehicle lighter.

The operation would take some time and the road was unlikely to re-open before 5pm, Mr West said.

Police are investigating the cause of the crash.

The main alternative route between Manawatu and Hawke's Bay is the Saddle Rd.