Heavy downpours from a tropical low have hammered New Zealand’s North Island, causing landslides, flooding, and power outages for roughly 10,000 homes in the Bay of Plenty.
At Beachside Holiday Park near Mount Maunganui’s Mauao peak, rescuers battle unstable ground to reach those possibly trapped under Thursday morning’s debris flow.
The slide struck around 9:30 a.m. local time, destroying tents, caravans, and showers after days of saturation.
Eyewitness Nix Jaques told Radio NZ, “I turned around and I could see the land coming down onto some structures. There were some vehicles that were moved. It came down on an ablutions block – I believe there were some people in the showers – and it shifted a campervan, there was a family with a campervan.”
Specialist teams with sniffer dogs and air force helicopters have evacuated hundreds while searching rubble where voices were heard, though single-figure missing persons—possibly including children—remain unconfirmed.
Police Superintendent Tim Anderson said, “It is possible we could find someone alive.”
Fire Commander William Park added, “My understanding was members of the public… tried to get into the rubble and did hear some voices. Our initial fire crew arrived and were able to hear the same. Shortly after our initial crew arrived we withdrew everyone from the site due to the possible movement of the slip.”
A Papamoa house slide left two missing and one injured, while floods north of Auckland claimed another. States of emergency span multiple districts with roads severed and rooftop helicopter rescues underway.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon monitors via X, as Minister Mark Mitchell told Radio NZ, “The good news is everyone responded very quickly. There was time to get prepared, and that helps to mitigate and create a strong response.”
North Island rain warnings lifted after 150-180 mm falls; South Island alerts ease soon. This is a developing story.