KEY POINTS:
A 21st birthday party descended into "absolute pandemonium" as more than 100 partygoers were set upon by Mongrel Mob gang members, Hastings police say.
Five people were hospitalised this morning after being attacked at the celebration in the small settlement of Bridge Pa, 10km west of Hastings, just before midnight.
Detective Sergeant Mike Foster said a group of about six men started "viciously attacking" people at random with weapons including baseball bats, knives and a machete.
"We believe that the offending group are Mongrel Mob members and associates."
Mr Foster said the incident was not thought to be gang rivalry.
"From what we can understand, when one of the members was refused entry to the party, because he wasn't invited, he's gone away and come back with a car load of people."
Mr Foster said five people were taken to hospital with serious but non life-threatening injuries and all needed surgery.
Three of the alleged attackers were arrested near the scene after police responded quickly, and weapons were seized along with the vehicle they arrived in, he said.
"For the initial units that went there it was absolute pandemonium, chaos, there were people fleeing from the offending vehicle, there were injured people all over the show, there was a large amount of blood, there was broken glass, there were rocks everywhere that had been thrown, it was pandemonium."
Mr Foster said attending officers did "a hell of a good job" sorting out the injured and arresting three offenders.
He said the incident was not likely to be connected to other violent attacks in Camberley and Flaxmere over the past few weeks.
"At this stage we're certainly not linking any of the offences."
Mr Foster said the investigation would continue today and a number of witnesses would be interviewed.
Further arrests were likely, he said.
- NZPA
