One person has died in a collision between a car and a truck in the Waimana Gorge in the Bay of Plenty.
Fire Service spokesman Scott Osmond said firefighters were called to the scene at 2.14pm.
The incident occurred on State Highway 2 in the gorge, between Whakatane and Opotiki, about 1.5km south of Stanley Rd.
The car driver was believed to have died in the crash, Mr Osmond said.
"All I know is that it's a truck versus a car, and I believe the car occupant is deceased," he said.
Bay of Plenty police spokesman Chris Turnbull said the crash had closed SH2 between Taneatua and Waimana until further notice.
Drivers could go an alternative route through Ohope via Waihi Rd, he said.
Parts of the central North Island have been hit by wild weather today, with rain causing slips, flooding and rapidly-rising rivers.
NZTA closed SH2 between Te Karaka and Gisborne earlier today because of flooding, cutting off the township.
