The scene where the sinkhole opened up at Whakarewarewa Village. Photo / via Aukaha News
The scene where the sinkhole opened up at Whakarewarewa Village. Photo / via Aukaha News
An elderly woman has been seriously injured after falling into a fumarole (sinkhole) on a footpath at Rotorua's Whakarewarewa Village.
St John treated two patients following the incident, with one in serious condition and the other in moderate condition, a spokeswoman said.
Two ambulances and one manager responded to the scene after St John received a call at 2.23pm.
Both patients were taken to Rotorua Hospital by ambulance.
Whakarewarewa Village general manager Mike Gibbons said an elderly woman slipped into a geothermal hole near the entrance to the tourist attraction and said she had suffered serious burn injuries.
Her husband received moderate injuries trying to pull his wife from the hole, Gibbons said. The couple were from Perth, Australia.
He understood there was geothermal activity on Wahiao Drive and the "ground opened up". This could have been due to the "extra amount of rain" in the area but at this stage was unconfirmed.
The scene where the sinkhole opened up at Whakarewarewa Village. Photo / via Aukaha News
"We are just keeping in communications with them and their families to monitor their wellbeing and recovery from the incident," Gibbons said.
Village staff were the first responders to the scene and assisted in pulling the woman out of the hole, he said.
Police at the entrance to the village. Photo / Maryana Garcia
"Our understanding is that the wife slipped into the hole and she was eventually pulled from that and taken care of by our staff," he said.
"We need to acknowledge some of these situations can be also stressful on the staff that were involved in the recovery process."
Rotorua Lakes Council had been notified, with staff being sent to assess damage in the area.
A police spokesperson said they were called to Whakarewarewa, The Living Māori Village, on Tryon St in Rotorua just after 3.30pm and two people had been injured.
Aukaha News reported at least one visitor fell into the hole and has been taken to hospital where she is being treated for serious injuries.
The scene at Whakarewarewa Village. Photo / via Aukaha News
A video at the village shows a hole of about 2m by 1m wide and 1.5m deep on a pathway into the village. Steam can be seen coming out of the hole.
Aukaha News said locals first saw steam coming out of the road about a week ago and a cone was put in place then.
The hole appears to be just past the bridge going into the village, crossing over Puarenga Stream.
Fumaroles are openings in the earth's surface that emit steam and volcanic gases, such as sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide.
