NEW ZEALAND – Emergency response teams across New Zealand’s North Island are conducting critical rescue operations following multiple devastating landslides triggered by extreme weather conditions. The most severe incident occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Beachside Holiday Park, situated at the base of Mount Maunganui’s extinct volcano, where a massive landslide buried portions of the campground under substantial rubble.
Police Superintendent Tim Anderson confirmed that the number of individuals unaccounted for remains in “single figures” at the holiday park site. In a separate but related incident, another landslide struck a residential property in the nearby Bay of Plenty community overnight. While two occupants managed to escape safely, two others remain missing as rescue efforts continue.
Further north near Warkworth, emergency services are searching for a man who was swept away by floodwaters Wednesday morning as torrential rains battered extensive regions of the North Island. The consecutive natural disasters have created a multi-front crisis for emergency response teams.
Fire and Emergency NZ commander William Pike reported that initial responders and civilians heard voices from within the rubble shortly after the Mount Maunganui landslide, but subsequent movements forced the evacuation of rescue personnel from the unstable site. No signs of life have been detected since the initial response.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has issued urgent appeals for residents in affected areas to strictly follow safety directives from local authorities. “Extreme weather continues to create dangerous conditions across the North Island. Right now, the government is doing everything we can to support those impacted,” Luxon stated via social media.
Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell confirmed that rescue operations continue at multiple locations, while Mayor Mahe Drysdale noted that some individuals initially reported missing had subsequently been accounted for after leaving the campground without official notification. The Beachside Holiday Park remains closed indefinitely following the catastrophic event.