Separate road incidents claim two lives

File photo / Martin Sykes

Two people are dead in separate road accidents across the country today shortly after officials announced the lowest Queen's Birthday road toll in 50 years.

A child has been killed in a crash involving a tourist bus and three cars in Northland this evening while another person is dead after a crash on the Rakaia River Bridge in Canterbury.

Police northern communications acting inspector Danny Meade said the boy, whose age was unknown, died at the scene of the crash on State Highway 10 near Kaeo early this evening.

Inspector Paul Fremaux of southern communications said a truck with a trailer carrying two tractors collided with two other vehicles on the Rakaia River Bridge late this afternoon.

One person died and it was still unknown whether anyone else was injured as the "horrific scene" was still evolving, said Inspector Fremaux.

Police hoped to reopen one lane of the bridge soon.

Meanwhile, a crash involving three vehicles has closed the Southern Motorway in Auckland.

A nzherald.co.nz video reporter says the fire service took half an hour to cut a woman from her vehicle after it was crushed between a truck and another vehicle south of the Otara Papatoetoe interchange.

The woman's condition is understood to now be serious but not critical.

At least one other person has also been taken to hospital in a moderate condition.

Acting Inspector Meade said the woman's condition was not as serious as initially thought.

He said depending on the hospital's assessment of the woman's condition, the motorway would be reopened shortly.