Police say it could be some time before they learn the identity of a person killed in a car fire west of Auckland on Monday night.
The body was found inside a Toyota Hilux at the car park at Maori Bay, Muriwai Beach, 45km west of downtown Auckland,soon after 7pm on Monday.
A post mortem is being carried out but the body is in a state that meant identification was proving difficult.
"We have our suspicions, but we are not at a stage where we can formally identify the person due to the state of the body," Detective Sergeant Stan Brown of Orewa Police told NZPA.
No dental records matching the victim were available, leading police to look to overseas records.
The state of the car also meant establishing the cause of the fire was not easy, Mr Brown said.
"We are waiting to hear from the fire safety officers and ESR (forensic) scientists."
Results from the post mortem examination were now expected to be completed late today or tomorrow morning.
