Rescue teams on Thursday scoured debris at a campsite in New Zealand in search of missing individuals, including children, following a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall that severed power lines for thousands and caused extensive destruction. Evacuations were carried out, and roads were shut down as the downpour battered almost the entire eastern coast of the North Island. Police indicated that the number of missing individuals, resulting from the landslide in the popular tourist destination of Mount Maunganui on Wednesday, was likely in single digits.
Emergency services announced that they would utilize heavy equipment to remove layers of debris throughout the night to locate the missing persons in what they described as a complex and high-risk environment. Megan Stiffler, an official from the fire and emergency services, emphasized that search operations would continue overnight until completion.
During a press briefing, police superintendent Tim Anderson confirmed that the count of missing persons was in the single digits, expressing hope that survivors might still be found. Helicopters and search dogs were deployed for the search effort, while reports indicated that around 8,000 individuals were without electricity, down from an initial 16,000. No fatalities had been reported at that time.
A witness, Canadian Dion Siluch, recounted experiencing the landslide while receiving a massage at Mount Hot Pools nearby. He described the intense shaking akin to a passing freight train and the sight of a caravan in the hot pool from the window. Siluch and his family evacuated the area as emergency teams mobilized to locate missing individuals.
Responding to fears of additional ground movements, first responders retreated despite detecting signs of life, with no voices heard from the rubble since then. Media reports mentioned that children were among those unaccounted for, as stated by Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell.
Elsewhere, police reported two individuals missing after a separate landslide hit a residence in Papamoa, and a third person went missing after their vehicle was swept away north of Auckland on Wednesday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon assured that the government was providing full support to those impacted. Authorities closed off roads in Northland, Bay of Plenty, and Waikato due to damages, with some small communities cut off by road disruptions.
Weather authorities lifted all North Island warnings as a tropical low moved eastward.