Neighbours tried to rescue an elderly lady from an Auckland house fire but the flames "were just too big", they said.
The woman, believed to be in her 80s, died in the blaze in Melton Rd, Mt Wellington, early this morning.
She lived alone in the house and was extremely private, neighbour Survin Chaudhary told the New Zealand Herald. "We woke around 2am, all I heard was glass breaking. I woke my husband and said someone had broken into the car," Mrs Chaudhary said.
"When we opened the curtains we saw smoke and fire coming through the windows of her house."
"My husband ran up to see if he could do anything but it was just too big, the flames were too big. And things were bursting inside the house, exploding. But we were so worried about the poor lady being in there alone."