A massive explosion at a fertiliser plant in the Texas town of West killed at least five to 15 people and injured more than 160 others, leaving the factory a smouldering ruin and levelling buildings for blocks in every direction.

The desperate plea for help was one of many that poured into 911 in the moments after the West Fertiliser Plant exploded in Texas yesterday while firefighters were trying to contain an earlier blaze.

One person has suffered serious injuries after a train and a car collided in Hawkes Bay this afternoon.

Two people suffered minor injuries when a car and a tour bus, with 24 passengers, collided in Fiordland today.

A female scooter rider has died in a crash at Rotorua this morning and a second serious crash was being attended by emergency services in Putaruru.

Two men have been injured in motocross incidents near Nelson.

A top police officer is calling for unlicensed drivers to be banned from buying vehicles after a horror motorcycle death last week.

The infant siblings badly burned in a Gisborne car fire are likely to face dozens more operations and many weeks in hospital as they recover.

A prison van that collided with a crane on State Highway 2 is blocking traffic near Katikati.

A Federated Farmers leader has called on a coroner to look into rural suicides instead of concentrating on quad bike deaths.

A teenager and a 20-year-old died in an after-party crash caused by the unlicensed driver reaching 145km/h while racing his overloaded vehicle, a coroner has found.

A man's been taken to Wellington Hospital's emergency department after seriously injuring his leg while felling a tree.

A student pilot was lucky to walk away from an emergency landing on an East Cape beach.

Rugby player Chris Eaton paid an emotional tribute to his wife Hannah at her funeral in Napier, saying words could not describe the love he had for her.

Alicia Kissick was like most young Kiwis heading off on their OE - full of dreams, aspirations and excitement. Then she fractured two vertebrae in her spine.