Rescue teams are searching for several people, including children, who went missing after landslides hit New Zealand, forcing evacuations and road closures across much of the North Island’s eastern seaboard amid heavy rainfall.
On Thursday morning local time, a landslide struck the Mount Maunganui holiday park on North Island around 9:30 a.m. (20:30 GMT Wednesday), affecting campervans and a shower block at the popular tourist destination during the final week of summer school holidays, according to Radio New Zealand.
Police also reported two people missing after a separate landslide struck a house in nearby Papamoa. Additionally, a 47-year-old man went missing after attempting to cross the Mahurangi River north of Auckland; his car was swept away by floodwaters, Radio New Zealand said.
Officials said rescue operations at Mount Maunganui are ongoing, though the risk of further landslides is slowing efforts.
Police District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said there was still hope of finding survivors, noting that the number of missing people was “in the single figures.”
Fire and Emergency Commander William Park said first responders had detected signs of life in the debris but had to withdraw due to unstable ground.
“My understanding was members of the public … tried to get into the rubble and did hear some voices.
Our initial fire crew arrived and were able to hear the same. Shortly after our initial crew arrived, we withdrew everyone from the site due to the possible movement of the slip,” Park said.
Local media reported that children are among those missing, citing Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on X that he is “actively monitoring situations across the country,” including Mount Maunganui.
Scientists have warned that climate change, driven by fossil fuels and other pollutants, is increasing the frequency of extreme rainfall and disasters, contributing to unprecedented flooding worldwide.
They caution that such extreme weather events are likely to worsen unless significant measures are taken to reduce pollution.
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