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Several people were missing after heavy rains caused flooding and landslides across New Zealand’s North Island.
Rescue workers are searching for several people, including children, missing after landslides in New Zealand, where homes have been evacuated and roads closed as heavy rains hit almost the entire eastern seaboard of the country’s North Island.
Several people were missing on Thursday afternoon following a landslide which hit Mount Maunganui holiday park on North Island, at approximately 9:30am local time (20:30 GMT, Wednesday).
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According to Radio New Zealand, the landslide hit campervans and a shower block at the popular tourist spot during the last week of summer school holidays.
Two people were also missing after a landslide struck a house in neighbouring Papamoa, police said. A 47-year-old man was missing after he tried to cross the Mahurangi River north of Auckland, and his car was caught in floodwaters, according to Radio New Zealand.
Officials briefing reporters about the ongoing rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui said they still hoped to find survivors but that the potential for further landslides was hampering operations.
Police District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said that “it is possible that we could find someone alive”, adding that he would not comment on the number of people missing, only to say that “it is in the single figures”.
Fire and Emergency Commander William Park said first responders had detected signs of life in the rubble but withdrew after concerns of further ground movement.
“My understanding was members of the public … tried to get into the rubble and did hear some voices. 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 the possible movement of the slip,” Park said.
Local media cited Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell as saying children were among those missing.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on X that he was “actively monitoring situations across the country”, including in Mount Maunganui.
Climate change, caused by fossil fuels and other pollutants, is making extreme rainfall and other disasters more frequent, leading to unprecedented flooding in places around the world.
Scientists have warned that similar extreme weather will continue to worsen without significant steps taken to reduce pollution.
