KEY POINTS:
An 18-year-old man is in hospital today with life-threatening head injuries after a gang confrontation in Auckland, police said.
Police officers were called to Halyard St, in the west Auckland suburb of Te Atatu North, just after midnight and found at least 20 people involved in a violent clash.
They arrested six teenagers for fighting, some of whom could face more serious charges.
The six were being interviewed today and police were seeking others who might have involved in the alleged assault.
Detective Inspector Steve Wood said the victim had suffered significant trauma to his head.
"There is a possibility he will die," he said.
"He's in a bad way."
Mr Wood said how the injuries were caused had not yet been confirmed.
He said the inquiry team would take some time to establish exactly what happened, he said.
However, it seemed there was a confrontation between rival groups, including people associated with recognised youth gangs.
Weapons such as bottles and lengths of timber appeared to have been involved and Mr Wood said it fortunate nobody else was seriously injured.
He said the figure of at least 20 people taking part in the confrontation was "a ball park figure".
"When some members of the public rang up, they were using numbers like 50," he said.
"It's something we should be able to confirm later."
Police had cordoned off the scene, which was being examined today.
- NZPA
