The victim of an early morning incident on Bealey Avenue was allegedly stabbed in the chest, Chris Lynch Media understands.

Ministry of Social Development Emergency Housing residents at Aotea Motel, as well as overnight guests, were awoken just after midnight to a commotion outside the motel.

Shortly afterwards, several emergency vehicles with full lights and sirens arrived on the scene.

A motel guest told Chris Lynch Media, “[We] stayed in our room. The police were walking around the outside of our room past the windows talking loud. It was pretty scary and everything cordoned off now … Police are still here. It’s something in the office/managers part that is taped off.”

An eyewitness said that there are police markings next to blood stains on the road outside Aotea Motel.

A police spokesperson said they received a report at 12:18am of a person who was “seriously injured” outside the motel.

A St John spokesperson said they were notified of an incident at the 302 Bealey Ave property, responding with one ambulance, one rapid response vehicle and one manager.

The spokesperson said, “The crew assessed one patient at the scene, transporting them to Christchurch Hospital in a critical condition.”

A source has revealed to this newsroom that the victim was stabbed in the chest.

A scene guard is still in place, with traffic down to one lane on the southern side of Bealey Ave between Fitzgerald Ave and Madras Street.

Aotea Motel is a current provider of Emergency Housing through the Ministry of Social Development.

Police enquiries are ongoing to determine the circumstances of this incident.