Investigators at the scene of a crash between a car and two trucks in Manawatu say they are having trouble working out exactly what happened because the site of the crash and fire is utter devastation.
One person has been found dead in the burned-out car and there may be a second body, but that cannot be confirmed until the vehicle has been taken away for closer inspection.
The vehicles were travelling on State Highway 1 between Sanson and Foxton when they collided at Oroua Downs early on Wednesday.
Details of the crash are not yet clear, but police think all three vehicles were travelling south when the car became caught between the semi-trailer and B-train trucks, possibly as one of the vehicles tried to overtake. Both trucks and the Nissan car caught fire in the resulting crash.
Police describe the scene as devastation and say the fire was so intense it damaged the road itself.
One truck driver is uninjured, the other was taken to Palmerston North Hospital with minor injuries and police say both are very shaken.
Police believe they know the identities of the car's occupants but they cannot yet be publicly confirmed.
State Highway 1 was closed at the site but reopened about 3pm.
