New Zealand stabbings: Four injured in knife attack at supermarket

‘Heroic’ bystander praised for preventing further victims

A victim of the supermarket stabbing is taken to hospital as store staff embrace outside (AP)

Four people have been stabbed and seriously injured in a knife attack in a New Zealand supermarket.

Shoppers and staff at the Countdown store in the south-eastern city of Dunedin have been praised for their bravery in stopping the knifeman injure any others before police arrived.

Three of the victims are in critical condition in intensive care at the city’s hospital, and the suspect has also been injured.

Police do not believe the incident is linked to terrorism and the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said it was unclear what his motivation for the attack was.

“Needless to say that such an attack is hugely concerning, and I do want to acknowledge the really early reports of courageous acts by bystanders who have taken action in order to protect those around them," Ms Ardern said.

"Our thoughts are with all those affected by this attack."

Witnesses reported chaotic scenes as the attack unfolded on Monday inside the supermarket.

"We just heard a scream and thought someone must’ve fallen, but it got louder and louder and more people were screaming," an unnamed woman told the Otago Daily Times.

"I saw one red hand among the people; a bloody hand, and everybody started running towards the exits."

New Zealand Police Superintendent Paul Basham said after viewing CCTV footage of the incident, he believed the actions of bystanders to detain the attacker until his officers arrived was “nothing short of heroic”.

"What I can say is that those that intervened, some of whom became injured themselves, I think have acted selflessly and with great courage to prevent this man from hurting anybody else.”

He also said the working assumption so far was that it was a random attack, and that the man detained was likely to be charged in the next 24 hours with at the very least wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

"We are shocked and devastated by the events in our Dunedin Central Store this afternoon," Countdown said in a statement. "Our priority right now is our injured team members and caring for our wider team in the wake of this extremely traumatic event. We are deeply upset that customers who tried to help our team members were also injured."

Serious violence of this kind is rare in New Zealand, although the country is still picking up the pieces after 51 people were shot and killed in two mosques in Christchurch by a white supremacist gunman in 2019.