New Zealand Landslides Kill Two, Others Feared Buried
Heavy rain in New Zealand’s North Island triggered landslides that killed two people, left several feared buried, and cut power in multiple areas as rescuers…
WELLINGTON — बारिश in New Zealand’s North Island triggered landslides that killed two people and left several others feared buried, after heavy rains over the last few days caused flooding and power outages across the region.
The deaths were reported at Welcome Bay, while rescue workers continued searching through rubble at a separate site in a popular campground on Mount Maunganui. Authorities said they had no “signs of life” and only a “rough idea” of how many people were missing.
Search continues through the night
The missing group includes “at least one young girl,” authorities said. They did not give any other details, and the search operation was still under way as teams worked through damaged ground and crushed structures.
“This is a complex and high-risk environment, and our teams are working to achieve the best possible outcome while keeping everyone safe,” said Megan Stiffler, deputy national commander for the Urban Search and Rescue team.
Authorities said the search would continue through the night. That gives a sense of how unstable the site remains.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on X that New Zealand is “heavy with grief” after the “profound tragedy” caused by recent weather. The warning was not just about the dead. It was about the pace of the rescue, and the conditions crews were still facing as rain and debris complicated the work.
Why the landslides matter
The North Island has already been hit by flooding and outages, and the landslides add another layer of damage to an area still dealing with the latest severe weather. One minister said the east coast resembled “a war zone,” a line that captured the scale of the destruction across affected parts of the island.
The campground on Mount Maunganui, an extinct volcano and a sacred Māori site, is one of the country’s most popular outdoor spots. A local holiday website describes it as a “slice of paradise.” But it has also been repeatedly hit by landslides in recent years. That history now hangs over the rescue effort.
Footage from the campsite showed a huge slip near the base of the volcanic dome, with rescuers and sniffer dogs combing through crushed caravans and flattened tents. The images made the danger plain. Fast. Brutal. Unforgiving.
Australian tourist Sonny Worrall described hearing the slide unfold while he was swimming in a hot pool. “I heard this huge tree crack and all this dirt come off, and then I looked behind me and there's this huge landslide coming down,” he told local broadcaster TVNZ.
He said, “I'm still shaking from it now... I turned around and had to jump out of my seat and just run.”
Another witness, hiker Mark Tangney, told the New Zealand Herald he heard people screaming from under the rubble. Authorities have not provided an exact figure for the missing, saying only that they have a rough estimate and are waiting for confirmation.
With rescue teams still searching and no signs of life reported, the next hours remain critical at Mount Maunganui. The operation is happening in a place that has drawn campers for years, but now sits under the shadow of a landslide that has already left two people dead.
