Police confirm young child among five dead in Bay of Plenty tourist bus crash

September 5, 2019

Two others among the 27 people on board are seriously injured.

Police have today confirmed that one young child and four adults died in the Bay of Plenty tourist bus crash yesterday.

The accident happened after the tour bus failed to take a moderate to easy bend and lost control, rolling off the road on State Highway 5 between Waiohotu and Galaxy roads around 11am, police say.

Three of the 27 tourists on board remain in a serious but stable condition. 

Police say they are are making good progress with the identification of the deceased. However, they are not yet in a position to release any further detail, authorities said in a statement this afternoon. 

As the investigation is ongoing, police say it is still too early to make further comment on how the crash occurred.

The scene examination on State Highway 5 is now complete.

Chinese Ambassador Wu Xi has been talking to victims as they recover in Rotorua Hospital.

The bus involved in the crash remains in secure storage and will be the subject of considerable forensic examination over the next few days.

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