WELLINGTON, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Three people were injured on Thursday in a fire near an electricity substation in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, with one in serious condition, emergency services said.
A thick plume of black smoke was seen rising over the area in Auckland's Penrose suburb, as firefighters from several stations responded to the blaze. Up to 12 fire engines were at the scene, Radio New Zealand reported.
Ambulance service St John said it was notified of the fire at 3:29 p.m. local time and dispatched a rapid response unit to the scene, the report said.
Police said in a statement that they were advised of a fire on Thursday afternoon, noting that power outages had been reported in parts of Penrose as a result of the fire, and some intersections were without power.
Health New Zealand issued a public health alert, warning that smoke in the area could affect people with heart or lung conditions, pregnant women, young children and older adults. ■
