New Zealand's North Island Ravaged by Severe Storms and Landslides
Emergency services in New Zealand are conducting urgent search operations for multiple individuals, including a young child, who remain unaccounted for following a devastating landslide that struck a popular campsite during unprecedented storms. The extreme weather event has caused widespread destruction across the North Island, with emergency minister Mark Mitchell describing parts of the east coast as resembling "a war zone."
Mount Maunganui Campsite Tragedy
The catastrophic landslide occurred on Thursday morning at a campground in the tourist hotspot of Mount Maunganui on the east coast. Witnesses reported hearing an incredibly loud noise before witnessing a substantial portion of hillside collapse onto the campsite area. Footage from the scene reveals overturned camper vans and uprooted trees scattered across the devastated landscape.
Minister Mitchell confirmed that a young girl is among those missing following the landslide incident. "It's a fluid and sensitive issue at the moment," he stated. "Everyone is working as hard as they can to get the best possible resolution possible, but in no doubt at all it is a very difficult and challenging situation."
Record-Breaking Rainfall and Widespread Impact
The region experienced extraordinary rainfall levels in the lead-up to the disaster, with Tauranga – the closest city to Mount Maunganui – recording 295mm of rain in just 30 hours leading up to 6am on Thursday. The landslide struck approximately three and a half hours later, around 9.30am.
Local states of emergency have been declared in five regions across Northland and the East Cape as a result of days of torrential downpours. Helicopter teams have been deployed to rescue families sheltering on rooftops from rapidly rising floodwaters, while emergency services continue their search operations across multiple affected areas.
Multiple Incidents Across the Region
In a separate incident in Papamoa, south of Mount Maunganui, one person sustained serious injuries and two others are missing after a landslide struck a residential property at 4am on Thursday. Police are also resuming efforts to locate a man in his 40s who was swept away at a river crossing near Warkworth, north of Auckland, on Wednesday.
Images circulating from affected areas show flooded houses, submerged farmland, inundated community centres, and roads completely blocked by landslides. Stories of dramatic escapes and remarkable rescues continue to emerge from across the region.
Community Resilience and Emergency Response
A community in Coromandel came together to assist a 94-year-old man trapped by flood waters, while in another location a woman was rescued by kayak as neck-high, fast-flowing water surrounded her home. Tairāwhiti Fire and Emergency reported conducting multiple rooftop rescues and shared photographs showing houses inundated with logging waste, mud, and water, with cars and fences largely buried beneath debris.
"These are not training images," the department emphasised in their statement. "This is Punaruku, Te Araroa, this morning."
Government Response and Ongoing Concerns
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon affirmed that the government is doing everything possible to support those affected by the extreme weather conditions and expressed gratitude to emergency crews for their tireless efforts. "All those who are putting themselves in harm's way to keep Kiwis safe, the whole country is grateful," he stated.
The National Emergency Management Agency has issued warnings that a tropical low is expected to bring additional heavy rainfall on Thursday. "Rain is falling on ground that's already saturated, meaning impacts like fallen trees, landslides, flooding and dangerous river conditions are more likely," the agency cautioned.
As emergency services continue their search and rescue operations, communities across New Zealand's North Island are confronting the extensive aftermath of what emergency officials have described as one of the most severe weather events to hit the region in recent memory.
