‘Unfortunate accident’ cuts phones, internet

Parts of Cambridge were affected by a phone and internet outage yesterday which caused problems for businesses in the centre of town.

Contractor Downer had struck a phone line in Duke St, where sewers are being replaced. Connections were expected to be fully restored by 3pm yesterday, a Waipa District Council spokesperson said.

Council project engineer Carl Smith said the outage was a result of ‘‘an unfortunate accident’’ about 8pm on Sunday.

‘‘Downer was aware there was a phone line close to where they were working, but it was shallower than they expected.’’ He said Chorus was notified immediately so they could work on repairing the line. ‘‘This was an unfortunate accident as the contractor has been working very hard to avoid striking any lines to date.’’

New World Cambridge in Anzac St started having problems with phone lines and eftpos at 8pm on Sunday, said an employee who gave his name as Justin. ‘‘The phone lines aren’t working so we have all calls going to mobile. Eftpos is working but it’s slow,’’ he said yesterday.

Across the road, staff in the Cambridge Edition building couldn’t log in to their computers on Monday morning and hadn’t been able to make or receive calls on their landline all day.

Downer contractors are in the middle of a four-month-long project to replace water and wastewater pipes close to 100 years old.

Cambridge Edition editor Viv Posselt said the outage seemed to be confined to businesses around Empire, Alpha and Anzac streets, although staff at Countdown did not report problems with phone or internet. Justin said customers had been patient with the eftpos system and the business did not appear to have been affected.

Appeal in fatal crash

Police are appealing for witnesses of a crash in Tokoroa that left a 72-year-old man dead. Ioane Pere, from Tokoroa, died in Waikato Hospital after suffering fatal injuries in a collision on Dalmeny St about 9pm on February 20. The Police Serious Crash Unit is investigating the crash between the pedestrian and small truck. Police are particularly interested in two pedestrians who were reportedly on the footpath and would have been passing by the truck just prior to the fatal collision. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Constable Brendan Ede on (07) 378 6060.

Car hits bridge

Police believe alcohol may have been a factor in a crash that left one person critically injured. Emergency services were called to crash where a car had hit a bridge on the Morrinsville-Tahuna Rd about 3.40am yesterday.One person was trapped in the car after hitting the small concrete bridge and had to be cut free by firefighters. Two others also suffered moderate injuries and were transported to Waikato Hospital, said a St John spokesperson. Hamilton Police Senior Sergeant Andrew O’Reilly said alcohol appears to be a factor. Police closed the road for a short period and diversions were put in place. The crash was the latest in a spate of vehicle smashes on Waikato roads that resulted in two people dead and numerous others injured at the weekend.

rachel.thomas@fairfaxmedia.co.nz

Rural scrub fire

Firefighters battled a scrub fire south of Pirongia Forest Park on Sunday..The fire in Pekanui Rd was about 50m by 100m, fire northern communications shift manager Steve Smith said. Pirongia Rural Fire responded at about 12.40pm and were on the scene for at least two hours. Crews had asked for an extra water tanker but there was no mention of the fire threatening any houses or other buildings, Smith said.

Clarification

Dave Owen opened Te Awamutu Space Centre in Kihikihi to teach Kiwis about astronomy and space exploration, but not astrology as a photo caption in yesterday’s paper suggested.

Still no sign of tourist

A renewed search for a German tourist who went missing in Nelson Lakes National Park a year ago has failed to find any sign of him. The family of Christian Ulf Erik Prehn helped fund the search over the weekend in the rugged Travers Saddle area of the park, where he disappeared in February last year.Search co-ordinator Senior Constable Dave Colville said the 15-strong search team covered new ground, but found no sign of him.