A nine-year-old girl has died and six others, including two other children with serious injuries, are in hospital after a head-on crash on the Kaimai Ranges.

Multiple emergency services including 20 firefighters, St John Ambulances from Tauranga, Tokoroa, Matamata and Cambridge and police from Waikato and Bay of Plenty attended the three-vehicle crash that occurred on State Highway 29 past Old Kaimai Road at 4pm.

The damage caused to the vehicles in a head-on crash on SH29 in the Kaimai Ranges.

Western Bay of Plenty Area Commander Inspector Clifford Paxton says a vehicle travelling west towards Hamilton crossed the centreline colliding head-on with a car travelling towards Tauranga.

'A west-bound vehicle has crossed the centreline striking an east-bound vehicle heading towards Tauranga. A third vehicle has then collided with those vehicles, also travelling towards Tauranga on State Highway 29.”

'There are a number of injured persons, of which a number have been taken to Waikato and another to Tauranga Hospital.”

St John district operations manager Jeremy Gooders confirmed one female child, believed to be aged nine-years-old, died at the scene and six others were injured.

Two patients, one male driver with serious injuries and a female passenger of another vehicle with moderate injuries, were transported by ambulance to Tauranga Hospital.

Four others – two male children both with serious injuries, one female teenager with serious injuries and one adult female with moderate to serious injuries – were all taken to Waikato Hospital, says Jeremy.

'The occupant of the east-bound vehicle has been taken to Waikato and the occupants of the west-bound vehicle to Tauranga,” says Inspector Paxton.

A reporter at the scene says a blue Subaru Legacy sedan sustained major damage in the crash. A Honda Civic and a Nissan van, which ended up in the middle of the highway facing towards Tauranga, were the other two vehicles involved.

The scene was described as 'horrific” tonight as firefighters used specialist cutting equipment known as the Jaws of Life to extract two patients from the vehicles.

Jeremy says two St John Ambulances from Tauranga responded, along with units from Tokoroa, Matamata, Cambridge and two paramedic response cars.

Fire Service Northern Communications Centre shift manager Paul Radden earlier said five fire crews made up of about 20 fire fighters were called to attend.

'There are several persons involved and we currently have two persons trapped.”

The road was closed until 9.30pm.

Earlier:

Two people are trapped and others are injured in a serious crash near the summit of the Kaimai Range that has closed the road.

At least 10 police units, St John Ambulance and a total of 20 firefighters from both Matamata and Tauranga are the scene of the crash between Soldiers Road and Valley View Road.

A Police Northern Communications Centre spokesperson confirms the call came in at 4pm to a serious crash on State Highway 29 near the summit. The road is expected to be closed for the next two hours.

Police say there a number of people have sustained injuries, however further details are not available for release at this time.

Fire Service Northern Communications Centre shift manager Paul Radden says five fire crews are in attendance, made up of about 20 fire fighters.

'There are several persons involved and we currently have two persons trapped.

'We are getting to work with rescue equipment to extricate them from the vehicles.”

Paul says two rescue tenders from Tirau and Matamata have brought specialist rescue equipment known as the Jaws of Life to the scene.

He cannot confirm if the two people trapped are in the same vehicle.

The road is blocked to all traffic and diversions are in place at SH29 and SH36 Tauriko, SH29 and Poripori Road.

Diversions have been established for north-bound traffic to exit SH29 at Poripori Road where they will travel north until re-entering SH29 just south of Wairoa Pa.

South-bound traffic will exit SH29 at Old Kaimai Road and continue until the road re-joins the highway.

Police say there is also a further diversion in place on the Waikato side at SH28/SH29 intersection diverting traffic down Rapurapu Road.

Police ask that motorists avoid SH29 and consider alternative routes.

At least 20 firefighters are at the scene of the two-car crash on SH29.

Traffic is backed up along SH29. The road is now closed.