Several people, including a young girl, are feared missing after a landslide struck a popular camping site at the base of Mauao (Mount Maunganui) in New Zealand’s North Island on Thursday morning, prompting a major emergency response.
The slip occurred around 9.30 am local time at the Beachside Holiday Park, about 230 km southeast of Auckland. The landslide swept through campervans, cars, tents and an ablution block. Emergency services deployed sniffer dogs to search for anyone trapped under debris, according to reports by ABC News.
Fire and Emergency commander William Pike said first responders initially heard voices coming from beneath the rubble when they arrived, but no further sounds have been detected since. “Nobody has been rescued yet,” he said, adding that search efforts would continue despite challenging conditions.
Police Assistant Commissioner Tim Anderson said the exact number of missing was still unclear but was believed to be in single figures. Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell confirmed that a young girl was among those unaccounted for, with RNZ reporting that other children may also be missing.
Mitchell said the situation across parts of the east coast was dire, describing some areas as looking “like a war zone.” Helicopters have been deployed to rescue families stranded on rooftops due to flooding, and local states of emergency have been declared in five regions across Northland and the East Cape after days of record-breaking torrential rain, The Guardian reported.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, Mitchell said the focus remained on rescue operations. “We’re still in a response phase. There is a lot of activity ongoing and a lot of work being done to understand exactly what damage has occurred,” he said. He added that multiple slips had been reported, infrastructure had been damaged and restoring power was a priority, but the immediate focus remained on locating and rescuing people.
Mitchell said geoscientists would carry out a full safety assessment before the area could be reopened to the public, citing concerns about unstable ground.
Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said authorities were still working to determine how many people were at the campsite when the landslide occurred. “We’re having to go through all the lists of those who checked in. We don’t yet know the exact number,” he said, adding that some campers may have left without formally checking out, complicating efforts to confirm who is missing.
Local resident Robyn, who lives near the campground, said she saw emergency crews digging through mud for about an hour before pausing. She added that ambulances left the scene without patients, while police remained present.
Another witness, Nix Jaques, said she heard a loud noise before seeing the hillside collapse. “I turned around and could see the land coming down onto some structures,” she said, adding that an ablution block and a nearby campervan were hit.
St John Ambulance declared a major incident, with police, firefighters and paramedics responding. Fire and Emergency shift manager Paul Radden said around 40 firefighters, including an urban search and rescue team, had been deployed.
The Mount Maunganui Surf Life Saving Club has been established as a triage and evacuation centre. The remainder of the holiday park has been evacuated, and authorities have urged the public to stay away to ensure rescue teams have clear access.
