7 dead in New Zealand holiday road crashes

Xinhua
01 Jun 2026, 14:45 GMT+10

WELLINGTON, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed in overnight crashes in New Zealand, bringing the King's Birthday holiday road toll to seven, police said on Monday.

Three people died in a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 1 near Waiouru in central North Island at about 2:55 a.m. local time, while two others were seriously injured in a different vehicle, said a police statement.

A person initially reported missing from the scene was later found, police said.

In separate incidents, one person died in a single-vehicle crash on Waiheke Island near Auckland early Monday, while another was killed in a crash near Taupo on the North Island overnight. Two earlier fatalities occurred on Friday in crashes in Taupo and near Dunedin of the South Island.

The road toll is the highest for the King's Birthday long weekend since 2016, when 11 people were killed, Radio New Zealand reported.

Authorities urged drivers to take extra care as holiday traffic returns home amid poor weather conditions, including heavy rain in parts of the country.

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