Two tourists injured when van crashes off bridge

A vanful of tourists were lucky to escape an 8-metre plunge into a riverbed with only moderate injuries.

The van went off a bridge on the Hurunui’s Inland Kaiko¯ura Rd, pictured, about 9.45am on Friday, injuring two and reducing the road to one lane.

Kaikoura Fire Brigade chief fire officer Ian Walker said a van "carrying six tourists went through the bridge rails and fell approximately 8 metres to the riverbed".

He said the van landed on its roof in the dry riverbed, which would have been full of water last week due to a flood.

He said a male and a female were flown to Christchurch Hospital with moderate injuries, while the other four passengers were checked by St John paramedics at the scene.

It was "pure luck" there were no serious injuries, Walker said.

"They’re just very, very lucky people."

A Christchurch Transport Operations Centre spokesman said the road was down to one lane and under stop-go control near the intersection with Cloudy Range Rd for several hours.

The road had fully reopened by 2pm.

The road is a vital lifeline for Kaiko¯ura as it is the only way in and out of the earthquake-affected township during most weekdays.

In port:

Toll Transfer, berth only, Abel; Eagle, 1,355 tons, unload fish, LU2; Galatea, 156 tons, Slip; Kawatiri, 1,001 tons, repairs only, KQE; Cook Canyon, 113 tons, Slip; Antarctic Discovery, 1,500 tons, unload fish, Sealord; Holly May, MCQN; Kaharoa, 268 tons, repairs, LU3; Morning Star, 29 tons, unload chilled mussels, SY; Buffalo, 6,311 tons, berth only, MWN; Matuku, 29,735 tons, unload petroleum products, MWS; Twin Luck SW, 19,817 tons, unload logs, KQ; Resolution II, 108 tons, unload fish, load bunkers, Amatal; Tasman Viking, 372 tons, unload fish, Sealord; Amaltal Mariner, 555 tons, unload fish, Amatal; Thomas Harrison, 1,048 tons, unload fish, Sealord; Otakou, 703 tons, unload fish, Sealord.