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Landslide hits a campsite and a house New Zealand Emergency crews were working to rescue people buried in the rubble, officials said Thursday.
Emergency services were called to the landslide at the foot of Mount Maunganui on New Zealand’s North Island just after 9:30 a.m. Debris struck a seaside holiday park in a town named after an extinct volcano.
inspector general of police Tim Anderson Call the number of missing people “single digits.”
Another landslide hit a house overnight in the nearby Bay of Plenty community. Two people fled the house, but two others are missing, Anderson said. Rescue operations were underway there on Thursday.
Further north, near Warkworth, heavy rain lashed a large swath of the North Island on Wednesday morning, with flooding washing away a man from a road and still missing him, a police statement said.
prime minister of new zealand Christopher Luxon Residents in affected areas are urged to heed local government safety advice amid extreme conditions.
“Extreme weather continues to bring danger to the North Island. The government is currently doing everything it can to support those affected,” Luxon posted on social media.
New Zealand Fire and Emergency Rescue Commander William Pike said no survivors had been found three hours after the landslide occurred on Mount Maunganui.
“Members of the public… were trying to enter the ruins and did hear some noises,” Pike told reporters. “Upon our initial fire crews arriving… the same noises were heard. Shortly after our initial fire crews arrived, we evacuated everyone from the scene due to the potential for movement and slips.”
No signs of life have since been found, Pike said.
Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said emergency crews were continuing rescue operations on Mount Maunganui.
Mayor Mahe Drysdale said people who were unaccounted for earlier included those who left campgrounds without notifying authorities. The campground was closed after the disaster.