Woman killed in Otara house

UPDATE - One woman is dead and another fighting for her life after what may have been a domestic-related machete attack in South Auckland.

Police have launched a homicide inquiry after a 36-year-old woman died at the house in Otara overnight.

Police were called to the Gilbert Rd house about midnight and also found a second female, 25, with critical injuries. The injured woman was having emergency surgery in Auckland Hospital today for life-threatening injuries and police said doctors had told them she may die.

Police have recovered a machete and several other items from the house, but said today it was too soon to confirm the machete was the murder weapon until a post mortem had been done.

The two women, who are related, were in the lounge and a man was found with minor injuries at the rear of the house. The dead woman had received head injuries.

Police would not say how the man, who was related to the dead woman, got his injuries. He was being interviewed by detectives at Counties-Manukau police station this morning, after receiving medical treatment. 

Seven children, aged between two and 15, were in the house but police said none witnessed the attack and none were hurt.

Six of the seven children in the house were the children of the dead woman. The seventh child was a related member of the family but police could not say how she was related to the dead woman or the badly hurt woman.

The only witnesses were the man with minor injuries and the woman in surgery with life-threatening injuries.

Mr Gutry said police had several people to speak to before they could think about charging anyone.

He said they were waiting to see if the injured woman recovered.

Mr Gutry said there was no indication that the attack was fuelled by drugs or alcohol.

"It was certainly domestic-related. We still have got a few people to speak to just to work out what has happened."

Mr Gutry said it was possible the badly injured woman was trying to protect the dead woman from the attack.

"It is a possibility, but at this stage we will have to look at it. We don't have a witness to the actual incident," he said.

"The kids are able to give us some bits of information but it appears they haven't witnessed the actual attack."

The name of the dead and injured women would not be released until relatives had been told. Some relatives were in the Pacific Islands and had yet to be contacted.

A scene examination was under way at the house, with about 15 officers having worked on the case through the night.

"We will be doing the scene examination this morning, talking to the extended family and trying to piece together exactly what has happened.

The dead woman's body was due to be removed from the house today for a post mortem.

* Police have clarified confusion about the number of children in the house.  Police had earlier said there were seven children in the house but later changed that to six before confirming the original figure of seven.

- NZPA