Hammer attacker on the loose in Victoria

A man who viciously attacked two people with a hammer is on the loose in Victoria's southeast.

Police say two men became involved in a fight at a house in Church Street, Morwell, about 2am on Wednesday after a long drinking session, when one struck the other repeatedly with a hammer.

The victim, a 51-year-old Morwell man, has serious injuries.

The other man then went to another house and bludgeoned an 83-year-old woman several times with the hammer in her bedroom before fleeing.

Both victims are in a stable condition in hospital and police are hunting the perpetrator.