Two seriously injured people are being taken to hospital after a major multi-car crash on Auckland’s Northwestern Motorway in Henderson.

Meanwhile, a bus crash on the Southern Motorway, southbound between the Ellerslie-Panmure Highway and Southeastern Highway, is also causing huge delays.

An eyewitness who drove past the scene of the crash on the Southern Motorway told the Herald there were children on the bus.

Another traffic incident on the Northwestern, a breakdown, has blocked the right northbound lane between Lincoln and Makora Rd off-ramps.

A Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) spokesman told the Herald three crews were called to the scene in the Northwestern’s citybound lanes at 2.57pm, as well as St John Ambulance.

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“It’s a two-car crash, and there are two people likely trapped,” the spokesman said.

A spokesman for St John said two ambulances and two rapid response vehicles were on the scene.

“One patient has been [taken] to Auckland [City] Hospital in a serious condition,” the spokesman said.

A quarter of an hour later, the spokesman said “a second patient, also in a serious condition, is being taken to Auckland [City] Hospital by ambulance”.

Waka Kotahi NZTA said the crash was blocking the two left lanes between the Lincoln and Te Atatu Rd off-ramps.

“Expect delays until [it is] cleared,” the transport agency warned motorists.

“Merge to the right with care to pass.”

Live traffic maps show heavy congestion after a crash on Auckland's Northwestern and Southern Motorways about 3pm on Friday, August 18 2023. Photo / Google

Traffic has already backed up about 4km to Massey, according to live traffic data.

Meanwhile, on the Southern Motorway, traffic has backed up more than 9km through the Central Motorway Junction and onto the Northern Motorway.

Live traffic maps show heavy congestion after a crash on Auckland's Northwestern and Southern Motorways about 3pm on Friday, August 18 2023. Photo / Google

- More to come