Deadly Landslides Leave New Zealand in Mourning

Deadly landslides in New Zealand’s Mount Maunganui and Welcome Bay have killed two people and left at least six missing, including teenagers, as rescue teams continue searching amid unstable conditions following heavy rains.

New Zealand is currently experiencing a period of profound grief, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said, following devastating landslides that swept through a residential home and a bustling campground. The disasters have already claimed two lives, while at least six individuals remain unaccounted for, their fate uncertain.
Authorities confirmed that emergency crews are still actively searching for at least six people, including two teenagers, who are believed to be trapped beneath the debris of a landslide that struck a Mount Maunganui campsite on Thursday morning. Police were also attempting to establish contact with an additional three individuals. Many of the campers affected were families enjoying the summer school holidays, highlighting the tragic timing of the events. Photographs and footage from the scene show recreational vehicles and at least one building structure crushed under the force of the landslide.
During a visit to the region on Friday, Prime Minister Luxon expressed his condolences to the families who had lost loved ones and met with some of those directly affected. He described the situation as an “absolutely tragic” time for the nation. “New Zealand is full of grief today … and grieves with them,” Luxon stated, emphasizing the national sorrow shared with the affected families.
The Chinese ambassador to New Zealand, Wang Xiaolong, confirmed via a post on X that one of the deceased was a Chinese citizen. “Our hearts are with the impacted families at this difficult moment,” Wang wrote. He also expressed deep appreciation for the swift assistance provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and the New Zealand Police when contacted.
The first of the landslides struck a house in the Welcome Bay community on New Zealand’s North Island at approximately 4:50 a.m., according to police reports. Two residents managed to escape, but two others were trapped inside and later recovered dead, Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell confirmed. Later that morning, a second landslide occurred at the base of nearby Mount Maunganui, targeting the Beachside Holiday Park—a popular camping destination named after the now-extinct volcano. The landslide destroyed vehicles, travel trailers, and an amenities block, leaving a scene of widespread devastation.
Authorities are facing scrutiny over why evacuation measures were not implemented earlier, despite reports of a minor landslip at the campsite earlier in the day. “We’ve heard there was possibly a small slip where people did move away from the site,” local Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said, adding that these questions will be investigated thoroughly.
Drysdale also spoke to Radio New Zealand about the ongoing search efforts. Teams continued to work through the night at the campground, though no additional individuals were located. “That’s really hard, and we’re here with the families,” he said. “As you can imagine, just that uncertainty of where they are and when we might have a result is pretty hard.” He further emphasized that the area remained unstable, complicating rescue efforts. Minister Mitchell described the environment as both challenging and dangerous and mentioned that police were checking whether some campers had left the site without informing authorities.
The landslides followed days of heavy rainfall that drenched much of the North Island’s east coast, causing extensive damage and destabilizing hillsides across the region. In anticipation of such risks, New Zealand Civil Defence had issued warnings on Thursday morning, noting that landslides can occur without warning. The agency advised the public to watch for signs such as rockfalls, sinking land at the base of slopes, or stuck doors and windows, and to evacuate buildings that might be in danger.
The extreme weather also disrupted transport, with roads closed in some of the hardest-hit areas, leaving several North Island towns inaccessible by land. In the Tairawhiti District, residents were observed crossing landslide-affected areas to collect food and water from welfare hubs. Civil Defence officials strongly discouraged this due to the ongoing risk of additional landslides.
Police Superintendent Tim Anderson clarified that the number of people still missing remained in the “single figures.” As of late Thursday, no survivors or bodies had been recovered from the Mount Maunganui site, where search teams, including specially trained dogs, were working to detect human victims.
Minister Mitchell provided further details to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, explaining that the landslide impacted a shower block and a combined shower-kitchen block at the campground. “There were people using that at the time the slide came through and they are some of the ones that we’re working hard to try to recover now,” he said.
Elsewhere in the North Island, near Warkworth, a man remained missing after floodwaters swept him from a road on Wednesday morning, underscoring the widespread hazards caused by the heavy rains.
Prime Minister Luxon urged residents in affected areas to strictly follow local authorities’ safety guidance, stressing that the government was doing everything possible to support those impacted by the extreme weather conditions. Fire and Emergency NZ commander William Pike noted that there were initial signs of life immediately after the Mount Maunganui landslide. “Members of the public … tried to get into the rubble and did hear some voices,” Pike said. “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,” he added, highlighting the ongoing dangers at the scene.
Australian tourist Sonny Worrall recounted his harrowing experience at the campground. He described relaxing in a hot pool when the landslide occurred. “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 saw the debris carrying a travel trailer behind him. “It was like the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” he said, conveying the sudden terror faced by those present.