About eight people were taken to hospital after two bus crashes on Sunday in New Zealand's North Island.

A bus tipped over near Shannon with 40 passengers on board, police said.

Six people were in Palmerston North Hospital with light to moderate injuries, a hospital spokeswoman told NZ Newswire.

Another 21 people suffered minor injuries in the crash, St John ambulance spokesman Mark Tregoweth said.

The police are investigating the crash.

Also on Sunday, another bus and a van collided near lower North Island town of Otaki after the bus driver was impaired by a medical condition, police said.

"There were over 30 people in the bus and another six or so in the van, police said.

The driver aged in his 50s from Palmerston North appeared to have suffered a serious medical incident that led to the collision, police said.

He was taken to Wellington Hospital. The driver of the van was also taken to hospital.

None of the passengers were injured and they were later picked up by another bus, the NZ Newswire said. Endi

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