Several individuals, including at least one child, are missing in New Zealand after a landslide impacted a campsite at Mount Maunganui, a well-known tourist destination on the country’s east coast.
The incident occurred around 9:30am on Thursday morning (January 22) following intense storms that brought unprecedented rainfall to the region. Tauranga, the closest city to Mount Maunganui, recorded 295mm of rain within the 30 hours leading up to 6am on Thursday.
Witnesses speaking to local media described hearing a loud noise before witnessing a large section of the hillside beginning to move.
A tourist recounted the experience to BBC News, stating: “I was just swimming in the spa bath in the hot pool and then I heard this huge tree crack and all this dirt came off like behind me. And then I look behind me and there’s this huge landslide coming down.”
Emergency services quickly arrived at the scene, and Fire and Emergency NZ spokesperson William Pike noted that the initial fire crew heard cries for assistance from the debris.
“Members of the public … tried to get into the rubble and did hear some voices,” he said, according to The Guardian. “Our initial fire crew arrived and were able to hear the same.”
In a subsequent update, rescue teams reported they have not detected signs of life, but search operations continue with canine units to locate any possible survivors.
Emergency minister Mark Mitchell confirmed that a young girl is among those missing at the campsite, which is now strewn with uprooted trees and overturned camper vans. He mentioned that officials have a ‘rough idea’ of the number of missing persons but are awaiting precise figures before making a public announcement.
He stated: “It’s a fluid and sensitive issue at the moment. Everyone is working as hard as they can to get the best possible resolution possible, but in no doubt at all it is a very difficult and challenging situation.”
Rescuers plan to continue their efforts through the night in the search for the missing individuals.
Elsewhere, Fire and Emergency NZ provided an update via Facebook, noting it had dealt with over 230 weather-related incidents from 1:00am on Tuesday to 8:30am Thursday.
Some regions have been inundated with the equivalent of a month’s rainfall in just 12 hours, with Mitchell describing the destruction as resembling a ‘warzone’.