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Source: ONE News -
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Some of the hundreds of motorists trapped overnight by a freak snowfall on the Napier Taupo highway have been treated for minor hypothermia.
The army and police worked as fast they could in a difficult rescue operation, however some people were marooned in their vehicles for over 10 hours.
Rescue services evacuated 668 people who were trapped on the highway by snow that reached up to a metre high overnight.
A state of emergency was declared in Taupo after the heavy snow left trapped dozens of people in their vehicles on State Highway 5 through Sunday night.
Police say 368 travellers were rescued from the Napier side of the highway with another 300 evacuated to Taupo.
Napier Area commander Inspector Kevin Kalff says the priority was the welfare of those people stranded, all of whom were evacuated on Monday morning. However many vehicles remain on the road.
"We are working to get drivers back to their vehicles as soon as practicable. But a lot will depend on weather conditions and the state of the road," he says.
Taupo District Council emergency manager Phillip Parker says some of the motorists trapped in their vehicles overnight have suffered hypothermia.
Around 75 motorists were trapped in their vehicles, some for almost 14 hours.
He says everyone has now been evacuated, though some closer to Napier have suffered minor cases of hypothermia.
Those who had been rescued were either taken to the Tarawera Tavern, the Summit Kiosk or the Te Pohue Hotel. Some motorists had been picked up by family and friends.
Hukarere Girls College at Eskdale, north of Napier, was also acting as a centre for those evacuated.
Kalff says there had been great support from the businesses along the Napier-Taupo Rd who had taken the evacuees and from organisations such as four-wheel drive clubs.
Police are asking all drivers who had to abandon their cars on Sunday night and went to Napier to report back to Hukerere Girls College at 10am so the road could be cleared of vehicles.
Drivers who could not make their own way to Hukerere should make their way to the Tennyson Hotel in Napier by 9am so Civil Defence could arrange transport to Eskdale.
Meanwhile, State Highway 1 at the Desert Road has been closed
since Sunday
afternoon and snow continued to fall in the area on Monday
morning.
A heavy rain warning also remains in place for the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.
Four main sections of road remain closed as of midday Monday.
State Highway One between Turangi and Taihape.
State Highway Five between Napier and Taupo.
State Highway 38 around the Urewera National Park.
State Highway 49 between Tohunga Junction and Waiouru.
