Two people killed in separate crashes in North Island

CARTERTON, NEW ZEALAND - JANUARY 07:  Police stand guard at the cordon near the accident site on January 7, 2012 in Carterton, New Zealand. Emergency services attended a hot air balloon crash that has killed 11 people in the early hours of Saturday near the Wairarapa plains town of Carterton. The balloon burst into flames and crashed killing all aboard.  (Photo by Marty Melville/Getty Images)
Photo credit: Getty

Two people have been killed in two separate crashes in the North Island.

The latest occurred shortly after 5pm on Friday evening on State Highway 34 near Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty.

A second person sustained moderate injuries.

Earlier in the afternoon, one person was killed and another was rushed to Gisborne hospital in a serious condition after a single car crash on Waiapu Road in Tokomaru Bay.

Newshub.