A Tāneatua business owner says the community is "really sad" following the tragic crash which killed four people yesterday, including an infant.

Police confirmed four people died following a collision between two vehicles on Tāneatua Rd, Tāneatua, around 3pm on Sunday.

Police said the Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination before reopening the road Sunday night.

An investigation is underway and police would not comment on any factors potentially contributing to the crash prior to it being complete.

Liquor, Dairy Shop & Takeaway owner Gurpreet Kaur said they heard the sirens yesterday and were told there was a big crash.

Kaur moved to the area three weeks ago and said the crash was "very sad for the community".

She said many people were talking about the tragedy and people were noticeably down this morning.

Her heart went out to those affected, she said.

Yesterday, a St John spokeswoman said they transported three patients via ambulance to Whakatane Hospital. Two had minor injuries and one had moderate injuries.

Two rescue helicopters were also dispatched. One was stood down halfway to Tāneatua while the other landed but wasn't required to transport patients to hospital, the spokeswoman said.

Tāneatua is a small town in the Bay of Plenty region located south of Whakatāne.