Several people, including a young girl, are missing after landslides struck New Zealand on Thursday.
Following a lashing of heavy rain, some locations across the North Island became unstable, including a holiday park filled with families.
A girl is missing from the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park, at the foot of Mauao, after a slip hit the popular tourist spot.
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Local media are reporting that several other people are missing from that site as well.
Two people are unaccounted for after a separate landslide hit nearby Welcome Bay, with emergency services searching for people using sniffer dogs.
Tim Anderson, the police district commander superintendent, said authorities could not confirm how many people are missing in the Mauao landslide, but it is believed the number is in the “single figures”.
Australian Sonny Worrall told TVNZ he ran away from the landslide, with a caravan coming toward him.
“Looking behind me, there was a caravan coming right behind me.”
He had been swimming in hot pools when the landslide happened.
“People were in the pools, they were jumping out, running, they were screaming. It was insane, I couldn’t believe it,” he said.
“I’m still shaking from it now.”
“It all happened in a flash, I was definitely fearing for my life.”
Mark Mitchell, New Zealand’s police minister who is currently at Mt Maunganui, told the New Zealand Herald the entire area is being searched for people that might be trapped.
“They’re working as quickly as they can but, of course, when you’ve got unstable ground they also have to make sure it’s safe for first responders,” he said.
“As parents you imagine what it’s like, it’s very, very tough.”
The ABC is reporting that evacuation centres have been set up near Mt Maunganui, with the local surf lifesaving club being used as the central point. The Otumoetai Church of Christ is also open for people needing shelter.
