South African Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius is being questioned by South African police for shooting dead his girlfriend at his home in Pretoria, according to local media reports.

Johannesburg’s Talk Radio 702 has reported that Pistorius was understood to have shot his girlfriend in the head and arm but the circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear. It is believed that Pistorius may have mistaken his girlfriend for a burglar.

A South African police spokeswoman told the news agency Reuters that a woman had been found dead at Pistorius’s house but declined to give any more details.

26 year-old Oscar Pistorius, who races on carbon fiber prosthetic blades after he was born without a fibula in both legs, was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics and reached the 400 semi-finals in London 2012.

Update 11am: Oscar Pistorius arrested and held by police. He is likely to attend Pretoria Magistates Court on Thursday…

Pretoria Police spokesperson Captain Sarah Mcira has confirmed that Pistorius is claiming that he mistook his girlfriend for a burglar. The accident happened at 4am this morning at his home at Silverwoods Country Estate. Pistorius will attend Pretoria Magistrates court on thursday this week. A hearse was seen leaving the country estate at 8.30am this morning. His late girlfriend is named by the afrikaans language Beeld.com as the model Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius is said to be in a state of shock.

More news coverage:

Times Live – Pistorius Held for Murder

Sports 24 – Oscar shoots, kills girlfriend