6 Apr 2017

Taneatua cut off without power, people trapped in cars

From Morning Report, 7:10 am on 6 April 2017

Authorities in the Bay of Plenty are co-ordinating the rescue of eleven people trapped in their cars overnight, including children.

Residents of Taneatua, south of Whakatane, were evacuating their homes around midnight when they were blocked by floodwaters in Reid Road.

The town is completely cut off with one route out of the town covered by floodwater and the other impossible to cross because of a bridge under repair.

Taneatua is also without power.

The chief fire officer in the town, Lawrance Richardson, spoke to our reporter Gill Bonnett a short time ago.