KEY POINTS:
Police say it appears a six-year-old girl in a critical condition in Starship Hospital was shot in the chest with an air rifle by her nine-year-old brother.
Far North Area Commander Inspector Chris Scahill said initial indications were the girl's brother was playing with an air rifle when he shot his sister in the chest about 11am today at their home in Waikare, a rural area near Kawakawa north of Whangarei.
A four-wheel-drive ambulance and helicopter were used to reach the house, which was in one of the harder hit areas by the flooding, he told Radio New Zealand.
The girl was airlifted to Whangarei Hospital with her mother.
She was transferred to Starship Hospital in a critical condition, where she was undergoing surgery.
Police had been investigating at the scene today, interviewing neighbours and other witnesses to establish exactly what happened, Mr Scahill said.
Police were also investigating how the children got access to the air rifle, he said.
- NZPA
