New Zealand Landslide Tragedy: Children's Cries Heard Before Silence Falls
A devastating landslide has engulfed a popular holiday campsite in New Zealand, with fears that several campers, including children, remain buried beneath the rubble. The catastrophic event occurred at the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park on the country's North Island, following days of record-breaking rainfall that saturated the hillside.
Desperate Rescue Operation Underway
Emergency services are working tirelessly to locate and rescue missing holidaymakers trapped within a collapsed toilet block. Witnesses reported hearing desperate screams for help from inside the structure before the cries fell silent approximately fifteen minutes later. One of the first responders on the scene, Mark Tangney, described the harrowing moments as rescuers attempted to reach those trapped.
"There were six or eight other guys there on the roof of the toilet block with tools just trying to take the roof off because we could hear people screaming 'help us, help us, get us out of here'," Tangney told the New Zealand Herald. "We went hard for about half an hour and after 15 minutes, the people that were trapped, we couldn't hear them anymore."
Heroic Actions Amidst Chaos
Amidst the tragedy, stories of heroism have emerged. One woman has been hailed for potentially saving numerous lives by warning fellow campers of the impending danger moments before the landslide struck. Tragically, she herself became trapped in the toilet block while ensuring others evacuated safely.
A witness, who chose to remain anonymous, told the New Zealand Herald: "I just want you to know that one of the women that's in that shower block, she was a hero. She went around at 5 o'clock this morning and she got us all out of bed and she woke us all up so that we could move out... and she's not out."
Eyewitness Accounts of the Disaster
Survivors have recounted terrifying moments as the hillside gave way. Sonny Worrall was swimming in nearby hot pools when he heard a tree crack and turned to see the landslide descending.
"I looked behind me and there was a huge landslide coming down," Worrall told TVNZ. "I turned around and I had to jump out from my seat as fast as I could and just run. Looking behind me, there was a caravan coming right behind me. It all happened in a flash. I was fearing for my life. People were panicking everywhere."
Other witnesses, Bruce Cortesi and Olly Collier, described seeing swimmers escaping the pools with "dirt on their faces" after the campsite was wiped out in mere seconds. They estimated that between twenty and twenty-five people were in the pools at the time of the disaster.
Ongoing Search and Secondary Threats
Fire and Emergency NZ commander William Park emphasised the complexity and danger of the rescue operation, stating that teams would continue working through the night. "We're going right through [the night] until we've rescued everyone," Park told reporters. "It was a significant landslip and the priority was life safety. It's a complex and high-risk environment."
Complicating rescue efforts, a second landslide formed behind the Mount Maunganui surf club on Thursday afternoon, forcing the evacuation of a building that was housing people affected by the initial disaster.
Government Response and Wider Impact
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who is scheduled to visit the site, expressed gratitude to emergency responders and pledged full government support for those affected. "To the emergency responders, Defence Force personnel, and all those who are putting themselves in harm's way to keep Kiwis safe, the whole country is grateful," he tweeted.
The landslide at Mount Maunganui is part of a wider pattern of severe weather events across New Zealand, with some areas receiving close to 300mm of rain within thirty hours. In a separate incident in the Welcome Bay area, two people have died after their house was severely damaged by another landslide.
As search operations continue under challenging conditions, the community remains hopeful for survivors while mourning the tragic loss and destruction caused by this natural disaster.
