'He'll pull through' - boss of newspaper delivery driver stabbed repeatedly in back and hand by armed assailants

A newspaper delivery driver was stabbed while picking up a load from the East Tamaki Gull service station. Photo/Google Maps

A Herald newspaper delivery driver repeatedly stabbed in East Tamaki early this morning is out of surgery and talking to family, his boss says.

The father of school-aged children had arrived to pick up his newspapers from the bulk truck when he was jumped by at least two men about 3am.

East Tamaki New Zealand Herald franchisee Farhad Umrigar told the Herald late this afternoon that he had seen the man after he emerged from surgery for stab wounds to his back and hand.

The man was groggy, but in a stable condition.

"He'll pull through."

Family, including his children and brother, were at his side, Umrigar said.

Earlier, Umrigar told the Herald his drivers said they had all arrived at the East Tamaki Rd Gull service station close to the Otara shopping centre to collect their bundles.

They got out of their cars when the truck arrived to help unload and that was when two men attacked one of them.

"Two fellas jumped out from behind and stabbed him twice and started to beat him with something long and shiny, like a rod."

Umrigar said witnesses had reported seeing one of the men with a sword or machete and the other with a gun.

"Our team started screaming and running towards the driver and the two assailants ran off," he said.

"It was completely unprovoked."

When Umrigar arrived another contractor had blood all over her hands from trying to help the injured man while the ambulance was on its way.

The man was taken to Middlemore Hospital.

A police spokeswoman said the victim was parked in the forecourt of the service station around 3am when two men approached and attacked.

"He has suffered multiple stab wounds."

The injured man was not in a position to speak to police today.

However, witnesses have been spoken to and police are assessing information, she said.