Two killed and teens among the missing, police say
The search for missing people continues after a landslide struck a popular campsite on Mount Maunganui on New Zealand’s North Island.
The names of six people are still unknown and police are seeking information about three others. Police said two teenagers, the youngest of whom was 15, were among the missing.
Another landslide in nearby Welcome Bay also killed a grandmother and her grandson, public service broadcaster Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported. One of them was a Chinese national, police told reporters on Friday.
The landslides occurred after days of heavy rain in parts of the North Island.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who visited the affected area on Friday, said it was “inspiring” to see the support from the community, with neighbors and “friends of friends of friends” helping to clear debris from flood-affected areas.
Despite the tragedy, he said he was “incredibly impressed” by the professionalism shown in the wake of the disaster.
Luxon said key challenges remained, citing road access to isolated communities and ongoing risks of slides and flooding.
According to the New Zealand meteorological service, storms and strong winds are expected this weekend in Gisborne, where communities were cut off due to floods, and in Tauranga, where landslides occurred.
Luxon said most of the focus remains on the search and rescue mission.
Police are appealing to the public for information about the six unnamed people, as well as three others who may be in the area.
Police area commander Tim Anderson said on Friday they were believed to be international tourists who may have left the area. “We don’t believe they are here, but we still need to do this investigation.”
Anderson said rescuers did not see any signs of life under the rubble today. However, he added that they are still “working 24/7” and “leaving no stone unturned.”
Footage from the campsite on Mount Maunganui showed rescuers and search dogs making their way through crushed caravans and flattened tents.
One tourist told broadcaster TVNZ he jumped out of the pool when he saw the massive landslide.
The sacred Maori site is a popular tourist attraction, although it has suffered many landslides in recent years.
In nearby Welcome Bay, police found two bodies in a house after a landslide on Thursday. Police said one person at the scene was also seriously injured.
China’s Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong said in a statement on the X channel, “We are saddened to learn that it has been confirmed that two people, including a Chinese citizen, lost their lives on Mount Maunganui, and that many people have not been heard from.”
“Our hearts go out to the families affected at this difficult time.”
Elsewhere in the North Island, the search has resumed for a missing man who was washed adrift in the Mahurangi River north of Auckland on Wednesday.
His wife told RNZ his family still held out hope for the 47-year-old, who was a fisherman in Kiribati before moving to New Zealand in 2003. He said he knew how to swim and dive and had seen big waves.
