NZ Hercules to join Bali evacuation

5.10pm

A New Zealand air force plane and medical evacuation team is set to leave for Australia tonight to help evacuate casualties of yesterday's bombings in Bali.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said the C-130 Hercules was due to leave Whenuapai air base in Auckland for Darwin at 7pm.

"The air force C-130 Hercules and medical evacuation team is available to assist the Australians in the evacuation of dead and injured people from Bali to hospitals in Australia," she said.

Three civilians were included in the medical evacuation team, including people with expertise in treating burns.

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said one New Zealander was believed to be dead and many more injured, mostly with burns and shrapnel wounds. None of the known New Zealand injured were believed to have life-threatening wounds.

However, a further 312 New Zealanders were unaccounted for, Mr Goff said. Not all those would be in trouble; rather, that was the number of New Zealanders in Bali whose whereabouts were unknown.

- NZPA

Bali messages

New Zealand travellers in Bali, and their families in New Zealand, can post messages on our Bali Messages page.

Foreign Affairs advice to New Zealanders

* Travellers should defer travel to Bali

* NZers in Bali should keep a low profile and remain calm

* Foreign Affairs Hotline: 0800 432 111

Feature: Bali bomb blast

Pictures from the scene of the blast

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