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Photo: RNZ \/ Kim Baker Wilson\n<\/p>\n
Fire and Emergency have discovered that it is a power cable – not a fuel pipe – which has caused a diesel leak in South Auckland on Monday.<\/p>\n
Three crews were called to the scene on Great South Road in the suburb of Manurewa since 6.30am on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
It had been contained and crews had left by 11am.<\/p>\n
Northpower helped Fire and Emergency to establish that it was a power cable with fuel insulation around it in order to cool it down.<\/p>\n
FENZ assistant commander Chris Delfos told RNZ it worked with Northpower to stem that leak.<\/p>\n
He said it was unable to drain the pipe as that would damage the cable further, and cost the supplier millions of dollars.<\/p>\n
Delfos said it was possible that the initial damage was intentional.<\/p>\n
He said the cable began leaking at 3am, which had caused diesel to spill into the Papakura Stream.<\/p>\n
He hoped enough had pooled on the nearby grass area, but said there would be “some ecological damage to the waterway”.<\/p>\n
Fire and Emergency would work with Auckland Council to mitigate as much of that as possible, Delfos added.<\/p>\n
He said there had also been a telephone line cut nearby, but would not comment further on that.<\/p>\n
Firefighters at the scene captured the fuel which was leaking out of the pipe under a nearby bridge, and decanted it into a yellow bucket. The bucket was about a quarter-filled, which Delfos understood was around 75 litres.<\/p>\n
There was initial confusion due to the U-GO Manurewa petrol station being cordoned off, but Deflos said that was due to it being still under construction.<\/p>\n
![\"Emergency](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JQYU63_GAS_STATION_FUEL_PIPE_CUT_6_JPG.jpeg\")
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\nEmergency services at the scene.
\nPhoto: Kim Baker Wilson\/RNZ\n<\/p>\n
Earlier, Delfos told the New Zealand Herald that it appeared there had been some sort of “sabotage” to the pipe.<\/p>\n
In a later press conference, Delfos said the damage was “possibly” intentional.<\/p>\n
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\nFire and Emergency NZ and police were called to Great South Road before 7am.
\nPhoto: Kim Baker Wilson\/RNZ\n<\/p>\n
A Northpower spokesperson said the cable affected is in the Vector network area.<\/p>\n
“Northpower Energy Services contract to Vector for some work in the area,” a statement said.<\/p>\n