Emergency crews in New Zealand are racing to locate missing campers after a powerful landslide tore through a holiday park at the base of Mount Maunganui, following days of intense rainfall that has placed large parts of the North Island on high alert.
Several people remain unaccounted for after the slip struck shortly after 9.30am local time, crushing buildings, shifting campervans and burying tents at the popular coastal campsite near Mauao, an extinct volcano that is both a sacred Māori site and a major tourist attraction. Authorities have confirmed that a young girl is among those missing, while the exact number of people still unaccounted for remains unclear.
Search and rescue teams, supported by sniffer dogs and heavy machinery, are combing the debris field but face major challenges due to unstable ground and the risk of further slips. Officials say safety concerns are slowing progress, even as families wait anxiously for news.
“This is heartbreaking,” said New Zealand’s Police and Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell, who is at the scene. “They’re searching everywhere people might be trapped, but when the ground is still moving, we have to make sure it’s safe for our first responders.”
Campsite Evacuated as Rescue Effort Intensifies
The landslide hit a cluster of facilities at the holiday park, including an ablution block that police have described as the main area of concern. Campervans and vehicles were pushed metres from their original positions, and parts of a nearby hot pools complex were flooded and damaged.
Police District Commander Tim Anderson said it was still too early to confirm how many people were caught in the slip.
“It is likely single figures, but we are still working through the lists of who was checked in and who may have left before the landslide,” he said. “It is possible we could find people alive.”
Fire and Emergency New Zealand has so far reported no confirmed signs of life from the rubble, though officials stress that search efforts are ongoing and the situation remains fluid.
Eyewitnesses Describe Sudden Chaos
Witnesses described scenes of panic as the hillside gave way without warning. One woman said she was preparing to walk up Mauao when she heard an “incredibly loud noise” and turned to see earth and trees cascading down onto buildings and vehicles.
“There were some people in the showers,” she said, adding that she encountered parents desperately searching for a missing child in the immediate aftermath.
An Australian tourist, Sonny Worrall, narrowly escaped while swimming at the nearby hot pools. He said people were screaming and scrambling to get out as the landslide surged towards them.
“It all happened in a flash,” he said. “I was fearing for my life. There was a tree coming down and a caravan smashing towards me.”
Video footage captured shortly after the slip shows overturned caravans, uprooted trees and debris piled high against buildings, underscoring how close the incident came to causing even greater loss of life.
Second Landslide Leaves Two Missing Nearby
The Mount Maunganui disaster is not the only emergency facing authorities in the region. Two people are also missing after a separate landslide struck Welcome Bay, a rural area nearby. At least one home was damaged, while two residents managed to escape.
Police say both sites remain dangerous, with further ground movement possible.
Extreme Weather Behind the Disaster
The landslides come amid days of relentless rain across the North Island. New Zealand’s national weather agency, MetService, issued rare red warnings for several regions, citing a “threat to life” from flooding and slips.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the government is “doing everything we can” to support those affected and urged people in at-risk areas to follow the advice of local authorities and civil defence teams.
Mount Maunganui, also known as Mauao, has a history of instability and was closed for nearly a year in 2012 due to landslide risks. The latest disaster has again raised questions about safety at the site during extreme weather.
As rescuers continue their careful search through debris and mud, officials warn that conditions remain volatile. For families of the missing campers, the wait for answers is agonising as emergency crews work against time, weather and the shifting ground beneath their feet.
