A rolled fuel tanker has blocked a major highway in the Manawatū region, with photos from the scene showing fuel leaking onto the road.
A spokesperson for Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) confirmed the trailer carrying the fuel tanker rolled at around 7:30am on Wednesday while travelling on State Highway 1, north of Ōhau.
As of 3pm, SH1 remains closed at the intersection with Vista Rd. In an update, a police spokesperson confirmed the highway is expected to reopen during the early hours of Thursday morning.
"Initial estimates were that the road would be open this afternoon, however, the road is now likely to remain closed until around 2am tomorrow," they said.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area or delay their journey if possible as diversions remain in place.
Earlier, a police spokesperson confirmed to Newshub that fuel had been leaking from the tanker and onto the road.
It's said the tanker was carrying 32,000 litres of fuel and had been travelling to Palmerston North from Seaview in Lower Hutt. The remaining fuel was to be decanted into another tanker.
Speaking to Newshub at the scene on Wednesday morning, Levin Senior Sergeant Sam Gilpin said that "unfortunately, the vehicle is leaking petrol" and FENZ are attempting to "resolve the situation".
"It requires specialist equipment to assist with cleaning up the site and removing the vehicle," he added.
"It's going to be a long, drawn-out operation - the road will obviously not be open until it's clear and safe for motorists to drive through."
He confirmed there were no injuries and the Serious Crash Unit is not involved. Motorists were being redirected to State Highway 57, he added.
