KEY POINTS:
Six people, including four children, were flown to hospital today after an explosion on board a boat off the Coromandel Peninsula.
The two adults on the 10m catamaran were the most badly injured, suffering serious burns, Coromandel Senior Constable John Morrissey said.
Emergency services were alerted about 5am to the incident at Deep Cove, off Wanganui Island, near Coromandel township.
On board were a man and his teenage son, and a woman and her three daughters, aged five to 12.
Police, fire and Coastguard personnel were involved in the rescue of the six, who were taken off the boat and back to a motor camp.
They were later flown by Westpac rescue helicopter to Waikato Hospital in Hamilton.
Mr Morrissey said the cause of the explosion was believed to have been a gas leak.
"The owner turned on the stove and it went bang," he said.
The injuries came from the explosion and there was no ensuing fire.
The boat, which was "pretty badly damaged", was towed back to Coromandel.
Rescue helicopter staff said none of the injuries was life-threatening.
- NZPA
