A person has been found dead at a petrol station in Wellington’s central city.

A staff member at the Z service station in Vivian St told the Herald a member of the public came into the station earlier today asking them to call an ambulance.

The staff member followed the man back outside with a defibrillator machine to see if he could lend assistance.

He said another man, possibly in his 30s, was unconscious or possibly dead already in a car at the station.

“He was in the car, he was just lying down in the back of the car.”

The staffer could not say whether the man had any visible injuries.

By the time they laid the man down on the ground to try to help him, an ambulance had arrived.

“I’m not sure what exactly happened when the ambulance took him to hospital.”

He believed the man who asked for an ambulance had arrived in the car with the man who died.

The staff member said one of his co-workers had gone home after the incident.

“She was very nervous and scared.”

Police were called to the station about 11.30am today, a police spokesperson confirmed.

“The person’s death is currently being treated as unexplained and the area has been cordoned off.”

Z Energy spokeswoman Kiri Shannon said they were “saddened to confirm a person collapsed at Z Vivian St this morning and subsequently passed away”.

“Our thoughts are with the family of this person,” she said in a statement.

“We are working to support the Z site staff who responded to this situation and the site remains closed at this time.

“This matter has now been referred to police.”