Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Police have confirmed two people died in a fiery crash in Taranaki on Wednesday morning.
South Taranaki response manager Senior Sergeant Andrew Russ said two vehicles collided at the intersection of Boylan Road and Mountain Road before 6am.
The car which caught alight was already "fully involved" when firefighters arrived on scene, Fire and Emergency NZ said.
The Disaster Victim Identification unit had been working to find out the number of fatalities in the crash because it had been unclear to first responders at the scene, police had said.
The unit finished their assessment late this afternoon and found the drivers were the only people in the vehicles, Russ said.
"Our thoughts are with the victims' families at this incredibly difficult time."
State Highway 3 at Eltham has since reopened.
An investigation by the Serious Crash Unit is ongoing.