Residents who live by an empty industrial yard in Hastings heard nothing before police were called to a death nearby this morning.
Police at the scene of a sudden death in an empty industrial lot in Hastings on Monday. Photo: RNZ / Tom Kitchin
Officers were called to reports of the sudden death on Plunket Ave about 10.40am.
This afternoon, detectives put up tents in the yard and were investigating the scene.
The Coroner has been notified and a post-mortem will be completed.
Residents told RNZ the lot had been vacant for several years and was frequented by homeless people on occasion.
In a separate incident, Hawke's Bay police were also investigating a serious assault in Napier, which resulted in a person being critically injured.
They were called to a property in the suburb of Pirimai just before midday.
A person is assisting with the investigation and police aren't looking for anyone else.