Four hurt after crash near Paeroa

File photo / Thinkstock

Two men are in Waikato Hospital, one with critical injuries, after a car plunged down a bank in the Karangahake Gorge, near Paeroa, overnight.

One man was in a critical condition in the hospital's intensive care unit and the other, aged 21, was in a serious condition in the high dependency unit.

Police said they had grave fears for the welfare of at least one of the men.

Two others were also badly hurt in the crash, between Paeroa and Waihi in the Bay of Plenty, just after midnight.

Police found at least two people trapped and firefighters set up a landing area on the road for rescue helicopters to land and pick up the injured and take them to Waikato Hospital.

The road was closed for several hours and did not reopen until after 5am today.

The police serious crash unit is investigating.

- NZPA