Six people confirmed missing after landslide at New Zealand campsite
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A view of Mount Maunganui at the scene of a landslide triggered by heavy rains, in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, Jan 23.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WELLINGTON - Six people have been confirmed missing in a landslide that ripped through a busy campground on New Zealand’s North Island, the authorities said on Jan 23 as emergency crews continued to comb through the rubble.
Heavy rain triggered the landslide on Jan 22 at Mount Maunganui on the island’s east coast at 9.30am local time (4.30am), bringing soil and rubble down on the busy campsite in the city of Tauranga, where families were enjoying summer school holidays.
Police District Commander Tim Anderson told a news conference that the authorities were working to contact three more people in addition to the six confirmed missing.
“We don’t believe they’re here, but we’ve still got to do that inquiry,” he added.
New Zealand officials have not reported any deaths at the campground.
Two people died on Jan 22 in a landslide in the neighbouring suburb of Papamoa, the police said.
Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaolong said in a post on social media platform X that one was a Chinese citizen.
Tauranga Mayor Mahe Drysdale told Radio New Zealand that while search-and-rescue teams had continued at the campground through the night, there had been no progress in finding missing people.
Images showed recreational vehicles and at least one structure crushed at the campsite.
“We’re here with the families and, as you can imagine, just that uncertainty of where they are and when we might have a result is pretty hard,” Mr Drysdale said.
He said the area remained unstable. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell told Radio New Zealand it was a challenging environment.
He said the police were checking if some campers may have left without informing the authorities.
New Zealand Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told news outlet New Zealand Herald that the scale of the disaster and the risks at the site could delay rescue efforts.
“It could be days, and we appreciate that everybody is anxious and waiting for their loved ones, and for some answers but we also have to be very careful,” Mr Chambers said.
The landslide occurred after heavy rain soaked much of the North Island’s east coast earlier this week and caused widespread damage.
Roads remained closed in some of the worst-hit areas, making some North Island towns inaccessible by land.
The civil defence organisation in Tairawhiti District said in a social media post that people were walking over landslides to collect water and food from welfare hubs and warned against this due to fears of further landslides. REUTERS
