Authorities in New Zealand say there are no signs of life following a major landslip that buried a popular campsite in the country’s north, as a large-scale search and rescue operation continues for at least six missing campers.
Heavy rainfall triggered multiple landslips that tore through Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park – a well-known campground about 200km south of Auckland – and the nearby beachside suburb of Papamoa in the Bay of Plenty region on Thursday.
Heavy machinery and sniffer dogs have been deployed as part of the ongoing operation, after reports that screams could be heard from beneath the debris.
Six people remain unaccounted for.
Police have confirmed that two of them are teenage boys, but would not say whether they are related or from different families.
There are also concerns for three additional campers who had not checked out of the site. Authorities believe they may be overseas tourists who had already left the area.
It is understood that multiple families were caught in the landslip.
Police declined to confirm whether any campers had been pulled from the debris dead or alive, saying it was too sensitive to disclose such information while families waited at the scene for updates about their loved ones.
Bay of Plenty District Commander and Superintendent Tim Anderson said there had been no sign of life on Thursday, but rescue crews remained hopeful.
Speaking at a press conference, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said authorities were still “very much in the response stage” to severe weather events affecting the country.
He confirmed he had met with affected families on Thursday.
“They are grieving incredibly hard, and I know that New Zealand grieves with them,” he told reporters, describing the weather events as an “absolute tragedy”.
“There is massive hope, there is concern … every individual is handling it in a different way. It’s a highly anxious time.”
“All we can do is make sure that we’re offering the very best support to those families, and I feel very confident that we are.”
Crews worked carefully overnight to clear debris in what officials described as a “complex and high-risk environment”.
In a separate incident, an elderly woman and a boy believed to be her 10-year-old grandson were found dead inside a home destroyed by another landslip.
That incident occurred in Papamoa, about a 20-minute drive south of the campsite disaster.
Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong confirmed on Thursday morning that one of the victims of the landslides was a Chinese national.
“We are sad to learn that two people are confirmed to have lost their lives, including a Chinese citizen, and a number of people remain unaccounted for in the massive slip near Mt Manganui yesterday,” he wrote on X on Friday morning.
“Our hearts are with the impacted families at this difficult moment. Deeply appreciate the assistance provided promptly by Mfat and NZ Police when we reached out yesterday.”
It remains unclear whether the ambassador was referring to the landslip at the campsite or the one in Papamoa.
Police were pressed to clarify where the two deceased victims were found but declined to provide further details, saying more information would be released when possible.
Earlier on Thursday, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers warned families of the missing that it could be “days” before they receive any news.
He said the rescue effort was being hindered by a “massive” volume of debris and ongoing concerns about further landslips.
Families gathered at the campsite on Thursday morning awaiting updates.
Emergency crews are also reviewing nearby CCTV footage to determine how many people may be trapped and to identify those who had left the area before the disaster.
“It’s pretty dynamic because there are people that left the campground that didn’t necessarily let anyone know that they were gone and they’re having to go back and check CCTV footage and do a thorough check,” NZ Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said.
Authorities are urging anyone who left the campsite to contact police, while families concerned about a loved one are encouraged to report it via an online portal on the police website.
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