NEW ZEALAND: A 14ft long shark today killed a swimmer and disappeared as police shot at it in their bid to save the man near an Auckland beach.

Muriwai Beach was closed after the fatal attack, one of only about a dozen in New Zealand in 180 years.

Eyewitness Pio Mose, who was fishing at the beach, said he saw the swimmer struggle against the "huge" shark. He told the man to swim to the rocks, but it was too late.

"All of a sudden there was blood everywhere," Mr Mose said.

Police said the swimmer, aged in his 40s, was about 650ft offshore when the shark attacked. He said police went out in boats and shot at the shark, which they estimated was 12 to 14ft long.

"It rolled over and disappeared," Mr Rutene said.

About 200 people had been on the beach at the time of the attack.

Police said Muriwai and other beaches nearby have been closed until further notice.

Officers did not say what species of shark was involved in the attack.

But a spokesman for the Department of Conservation, said New Zealand was a hotspot for great white sharks while other potentially lethal species also inhabit the waters.

Around the world, sharks attacked humans 80 times last year, and seven people were killed, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File.