A man in his early 40s is in a critical condition at Hawkes Bay Hospital after a fifth overnight stabbing in various locations countrywide.
A Hawkes Bay District Health Board spokeswoman said the man was in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit and was critical.
"He's in his early 40s."
A police spokeswoman said the man presented at Napier medical centre on Wellesley Rd at about 10pm last night.
"He was rushed to Hawkes Bay Hospital in an ambulance in a serious condition."
Police are making inquiries.
The incident was the fifth stabbing among three separate incidents reported to police last night.
A person died after being stabbed in the Far North shortly before 9pm last night.
Police arrived at the Moerewa address at 8.45pm to find the stabbing victim with a critical injury. The person died at the scene shortly after.
The alleged offender was known to the victim.
At the other end of the country, a woman is dead and two other people - the attacker and one other - are in a critical condition following a stabbing incident in Christchurch.
The attack happened on Ilam Rd, in the suburb of Ilam.
Police arrived at the scene shortly before 7.50pm.
The deceased woman and a man had been stabbed by a second man.
That man had then turned the knife on himself after attacking the two others.
All three people were known to each other and police were not seeking anyone else in relation to the incident.
A number of cordons were in place around the scene, and officers would remain there overnight.