British tourist dead and three people injured in New Zealand
- Published
One British tourist has died and three other people are seriously injured after a collision between a four-seater cycle and a car in New Zealand.
Officials said the incident occurred at about 10:45am local time on Thursday in the town of Martinborough, located near Wellington on New Zealand's North Island.
Wellington police said that authorities arrived to find all four victims with serious injuries, but that one person died before they could be airlifted to hospital.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it was providing support to the families of the victims.
"We are assisting several British people and their families after an incident in New Zealand and are in touch with the local authorities," a spokesperson told the BBC.
An earlier statement given to the PA news agency said the FCDO team in New Zealand had "provided advice on bereavement abroad after one British person died and three others were seriously injured in Martinborough".
"Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time," it said.
In a statement, Wellington District Road Policing Manager Brad Allen said that the serious crash unit was conducting a scene examination and inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.
"Police's thoughts, aroha [a Māori word that means love, compassion, sympathy, and empathy] and condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased," he said.
Images on local media showed the bike - a four-wheeled vehicle with an open frame and orange canvas roof - upside down beside a tree-lined road.
Indi Bikes Martinborough owner Wayde Mines told Radio New Zealand that he rushed to the scene after hearing about the incident and learned that the vehicle was one he rented to a couple he believed were tourists from the UK.
"It's a tragedy. It's terrible. I've been hiring bikes for 10 years and nothing like this has ever happened before. Not even scuffs and bumps," Mr Mines said.
The deputy mayor and councillor for the district wrote on Facebook that "today five lives were irrevocably changed".
"The hurt will ripple through our community," wrote Melissa Sadler-Futter. "My heart goes out to you all."