Rescue efforts underway after landslides hit New Zealand campground and house with 2 confirmed dead

Two people died and others remain missing after multiple landslides struck New Zealand’s North Island on Thursday, as emergency crews continue rescue operations amid challenging weather conditions.

The first landslide hit a residential property in Welcome Bay at 4:50 a.m. While two occupants managed to escape, two others were trapped inside the home. Emergency services later recovered their bodies, according to Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell.

A second, more extensive landslide occurred later that morning at the base of Mount Maunganui, an extinct volcano that gives its name to the nearby town. The debris flow crashed through Beachside Holiday Park, destroying vehicles, travel trailers, and a communal facilities building.

Police Superintendent Tim Anderson confirmed that the number of people missing was in “single figures.” Specialized search dogs were deployed to locate potential victims buried beneath the rubble.

“There was a shower block and a sort of combined shower block-kitchen block, and there were people using that at the time the slide came through. They are some of the ones that we’re working hard to try and recover now,” Mitchell told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Initial rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui were briefly halted due to safety concerns about further land movements. Fire and Emergency NZ commander William Pike reported that both civilians and first responders heard voices from within the debris immediately after the disaster.

“Members of the public tried to get into the rubble and did hear some voices,” Pike told reporters. “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 possible movement and slip.”

The disaster has left tourists and locals shaken. Australian visitor Sonny Worrall described his narrow escape from the landslide while relaxing in a hot pool at the campground.

“I looked behind me and there’s a huge landslide coming down. And I’m still shaking from it now,” Worrall told New Zealand’s 1News. “I turned around and I had to jump out from my seat as fast as I could and just run.” Looking back, he witnessed the debris carrying a travel trailer behind him. “It was like the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” he added.

Mayor Mahe Drysdale noted that some initially unaccounted-for individuals had left the campground without notifying authorities. The facility has since been closed indefinitely.

The landslides occurred amid widespread severe weather affecting large portions of New Zealand’s North Island. In a separate incident near Warkworth, further north, emergency services were searching for a man swept away by floodwaters on Wednesday morning.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addressed the disasters on social media, urging residents in affected areas to follow safety directives from local authorities. “Extreme weather continues to cause dangerous conditions across the North Island. Right now, the government is doing everything we can to support those impacted,” Luxon stated.

The landslides highlight the increasing frequency of extreme weather events in the region, part of a broader pattern of climate-related natural disasters affecting the Pacific. New Zealand, with its mountainous terrain and coastal development, remains particularly vulnerable to such events.

Emergency services continue to work around the clock at both disaster sites, with recovery operations expected to continue for several days as officials assess the full extent of the damage and account for all missing persons.

Local authorities have advised residents in surrounding areas to remain vigilant as unstable ground conditions and ongoing adverse weather could trigger additional landslides in the region.