Local Folk Shaken as Horror Crash in New Zealand Claims 3 Lives, Including Malaysians

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- In a harrowing sequence of events, three lives were claimed in a crash involving two vehicles and a motorcycle on State Highway 8 near Lake Pukaki, reported The New Zealand Herald.

This tragedy, part of two severe accidents occurring within less than two hours on the same stretch of the road involving more than 20 individuals, was reported as deeply shaking the local community and emergency services.

Earlier, the Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) and the High Commission of Malaysia in Wellington confirmed an accident near Lake Tekapo had resulted in the death of two Malaysian students, with three others airlifted to Christchurch Hospital.

The students are from the University of Canterbury and Victoria University of Wellington.

Meanwhile, Inspector Craig McKay, a police district operations and support manager, was quoted on the official New Zealand Police’s website describing the scene as "incredibly confronting", with several of the injured needed to be extricated from the wreckage.

The rescue efforts involved three helicopters and the investigations into the cause of the incidents are ongoing. 

“We want to ask every motorist on the roads this weekend to take extra care. Please take your time and have plenty of breaks. Crashes like these show how easy it is for things to go horribly wrong,” added McKay in the statement.

The incidents had prompted the closure of State Highway 8, with motorists advised to expect detours and delays, said Waka Kotahi NZTA Canterbury & West Coast on X, formerly Twitter.

-- BERNAMA