Multiple people die in crash

Multiple people have been killed in a car crash in central Invercargill.

Detective Inspector Stuart Harvey said ‘‘a number of people have lost their lives’’ in a crash near Queens Park yesterday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle crash, involving a heavy motor vehicle and a motor vehicle, on Queens Drive just before 4pm.

‘‘Sadly, multiple people died at the scene,’’ Harvey said.

A St John Ambulance spokesperson said it had treated one person at the scene for minor injuries.

About 10 police cars were at the scene outside the main entrace to Queens Park shortly after the crash.

Two fire crews and eight firefighters also attended the scene, working alongside ambulance and police staff.

Queens Drive resident Nathan Tane said he heard the crash.

‘‘It was a horrible noise . . . it sounded really bad, you knew it was a bad crash. There was no screeching of tyres, it happened that quickly,’’ he said.

Tane rushed to the scene and helped divert traffic with another person as emergency services were at the scene.

He said the road was ‘‘very slippery’’ when wet.

Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt said he was absolutely devastated to hear there had been multiple fatalities and the crash was going to affect families throughout New Zealand.

‘‘The families will be suffering a terrible loss tonight. My thoughts and prayers go out to them.’’

Nearby resident Anna Gubb said she heard the noise of the crash and thought it sounded like a gas tank exploding.

Another resident said he heard a loud crunching noise at the time of the crash.

A MetService spokesperson said at the time of the crash, it was overcast and quite a grey afternoon with showers going through.

Invercargill parkrun organisers last night cancelled this weekend’s event, saying that in ‘‘interests of safety, we have been asked to cancel [today’s] parkrun due to Queens Drive being closed all day as a result of a serious crash’’.