The scene where a car crashed into Tauranga Harbour overnight has been described as “very sombre” as cordons were lifted on Chapel St.

One person was taken to hospital in a moderate condition after the crash off Chapel St into the Waikareao Estuary just after midnight.

Police have said a second person was believed to have been in the vehicle, and have not confirmed whether that person has been found.

The road was cordoned off for a while this morning, which Tauranga City Council said was because of a “fatal accident”.

A reporter at the scene said an ambulance arrived while the road was closed, and left again about 20 minutes later.

She said the road reopened at 9.30am.

Police and the council have said the road is expected to close again today to recover the vehicle.

The council advised motorists could detour through Brookfield.

The Bay Central shopping centre was within the cordoned area this morning. Police were not allowing access to the centre, but were allowing cars to leave.

Stuff reported that a woman standing in a group near the water could be heard repeatedly wailing, “No, no, no”.

Chapel Cafe staff member Steve Singh said he saw police speaking with people who appeared to be family members near the scene.

“They were looking upset” as they spoke with officers behind a building.

Chapel St had been blocked, and the road was empty apart from police vehicles and officers investigating, he said.

Police officers at Chapel St this morning. Emergency services were called about 12.40am to reports the car had entered the water. Photo / Zoe Blake

“There’s nobody coming in and going out.”

He said the blocked road was impacting business operations.

Heathcotes Tauranga store manager Brian Stewart said he saw more than a dozen people who appeared to be family members gathered near the scene.

He described the group as “very sombre” and said they appeared to be consoling each other.

The group left the area before the cordon was lifted.

He said some staff could not get to work this morning after being turned around at the police cordon, and customers were struggling to access the shopping complex.

Stewart believed this was about the third time a vehicle had gone into the water from Chapel St in the past six years.

Last year, a man on a mobility scooter went into the water and was injured.

In December 2021, Maree Geary died after the car she was in plunged into the water. That was just weeks after another car went into the harbour.

Police said earlier that its dive squad had been notified and was expected to arrive later today.

Emergency services were called about 12.40am after reports that a car had entered the water off Chapel St, near the shopping centre.

“One person in the vehicle is out and is in hospital, while police are continuing to work to determine whether a second person was in the car,” police said.

Hato Hone St John was called at 12.36am. One person was taken to Tauranga Hospital in a moderate condition.

Fire and Emergency confirmed it was called to the incident, with one person already on land when firefighters arrived.