Police and Fire and Emergency vehicles at the end of Wharau Rd near Kerikeri. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Police and Fire and Emergency vehicles at the end of Wharau Rd near Kerikeri. Photo / Peter de Graaf
The discovery of a body in a burning car near Kerikeri is being treated by police as unexplained.
Kerikeri Fire Brigade was called to the end of Wharau Rd, about 10km east of town, just after 7pm on Tuesday when residents reported a car on fire.
As firefighters doused theblaze they discovered what appeared to be a body inside the vehicle, sparking a police investigation.
The far end of Wharau Rd, which overlooks the entrance to Kerikeri Inlet and provides access to Wharau Bay, was cordoned off for much of Wednesday as police and Fire and Emergency NZ examined the scene.
The fire occurred at the end of Wharau Rd, just above the beach on the right of the photo. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Fouhy, of Mid North police, said it was too early to know whether the death was suspicious. For now it was being treated as unexplained, he said.
Police believed they knew who the person was but could not say more until the body was formally identified, a process that could take some time.
Fouhy said the alarm was raised around 7pm on Tuesday. When firefighters arrived about 15 minutes later the vehicle was engulfed and flames had started spreading into nearby vegetation.
A scene-of-crime trailer at the end of Wharau Rd where police were investigating the discovery of a body in a burning car. Photo / Peter de Graaf
They called police when they realised a body was inside.
