Classmates pay tribute to Auckland stabbing victim

Classmates have paid tribute on Facebook Photo / Facebook

Classmates of the woman thought to be the victim of the stabbing at an international school in central Auckland yesterday have paid tribute online.

Parmita Rani, 22, died following the incident at AWI International Education Group building on Queen St yesterday, where it is understood the Manurewa woman had just sat an exam.

A 22-year-old man was also stabbed and was taken to Auckland Hospital with serious injuries. He was stable today.

A 29-year-old man appeared in the Auckland District Court this morning charged with murder and attempted murder.

The man, dressed in a white boiler suit and with his head bowed, did not enter a plea. He was remanded in custody and will appear in court via video link on Monday.

His name, occupation and address were suppressed so he could tell his family about the charges.

Ms Rani's friends and classmates have shared their grief on the AWI International Education Group Facebook page.

Nobil Verma wrote, "we gonna miss ur smile", while Rana Mukarram wrote that everyone was very sad.

"We always remember you in our good words."

The Facebook page's administrator's wrote that Rani was a "cheerful and friendly person" and asked that students pray for her family.

"May your Soul Rest in Peace."

Police, however, are yet to formally identify the young woman and have not officially named her.

A postmortem is expected to take place today.

Meanwhile, an international student has described wrestling with a knife-wielding man who allegedly fatally stabbed the young Indian woman.

"I tried a lot to save that girl but unfortunately we couldn't do it. He was just hitting and hitting and he just stabbed her two-to-three times," the man told the Weekend Herald last night.

Other witnesses spoke of hearing screaming and seeing people covered in blood. Another victim, a male, had allegedly been stabbed in the neck.

The witness and the woman had just sat a level 7 IT exam when the alleged offender met her at the school.

Emergency services outside the scene of the fatal stabbing. Photo / Brett Phibbs, NZ Herald

The young woman had arrived in New Zealand from India only last year. It is believed her father died when she was a child and her mother passed away this year.

Another friend said her India-based brother was her only surviving relative.

The witness had been studying IT with the woman for the past 18 months and described her as his best friend.

"She was very kind, she was a very friendly girl. She always took some food for me."

He said a man arrived at the school about 8.30am and had waited for the woman to finish her exam.

Several people had seen a knife and she was warned not to go downstairs.

"I told her to call police. I told her he had a knife. She ignored me and wanted to talk to him herself.

"Then suddenly after two minutes [the man] was coming towards the girl and he stabbed her once in the chest, a second time in the neck and third time in the head."

The witness said he and another classmate caught the man from behind in a bid to stop the attack.

"I caught his hand and we just fell down on the floor. Stupid things happened today man. I tried a lot to save her but I was too late."

The man was shaken last night and struggling with the thought of never seeing his friend again.

He understood the woman's body would be sent back to India. He said he had given a statement to the police.

A St John spokeswoman said paramedics were called to the scene at 12.22pm.

Two patients were taken to Auckland City Hospital.The woman was in a critical condition but later died.

The other victim, a 22-year-old man, suffered serious injuries and remains in hospital.

- Additional reporting by NZ Herald