Six people missing after Mount Maunganui landslide devastates campground

A large mass of soil, rock and debris tore through Beachside Holiday Park at the base of Mount Maunganui (Mauao) in Tauranga on Thursday morning, crushing caravans, campervans, tents and a bathroom block and leaving six people unaccounted for. The landslide, triggered after days of heavy rain, hit at about 09:30 local time and sent families fleeing as mud and trees swept across the busy holiday site.

Police confirmed six people remained missing, including two teenagers and a youngest person reported to be 15 years old. Officers were also trying to verify the whereabouts of three other people thought to be connected to the campground; early indications suggested they were not at the site when the slip occurred and may be international visitors. In nearby suburbs separate slips killed two people, reported to be a grandmother and her grandchild; Chinese authorities confirmed a Chinese national was among the dead and expressed condolences.

Rescue operations involved Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, specialist contractors with diggers, police dog teams and about 25 personnel working alongside contractors. Excavations have continued around the clock as teams methodically remove layers of mud and debris to ensure every area is checked. Fire and Emergency assistant national commander David Guard described the work as complex and high risk and said teams were working with contractors “until the search is complete.” Police commander Tim Anderson briefed the media, saying, “We have six people that we know are unaccounted for.” Rescuers initially reported hearing voices under the debris, but by Friday they detected no further signs of life and warned the search could take several days and may shift to recovery.

The precipitating weather was severe: local measurements showed as much as 274 mm of rain in 24 hours in parts of the affected area. Footage and eyewitness accounts showed crushed vehicles and flattened tents, while a tourist said he leapt from a pool as the mass hit. Hikers nearby reported seeing water seeping from the mountainside before the main slip, underlining the suddenness and scale of the failure. Multiple family members watched excavations from across the road as authorities worked.

Political leaders visited the scene and pledged support. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called the event an “absolute tragedy” and said government funding would be made available after damage assessments. Tauranga mayor Mahe Drysdale said questions about prior warnings or evacuation decisions “will be answered,” signalling formal inquiries into whether risk notices or evacuations should have been issued.

Beyond immediate rescue priorities, the disaster raises questions for local planning, insurance markets and tourism. Beachside Holiday Park is in a high-demand coastal tourism zone; insurers and property owners face significant claims and loss estimates as damage assessments proceed. Central and local governments will confront pressure to review slope stability, land-use zoning and early-warning systems in a region where heavy rainfall and extreme events have become more frequent, a trend experts link to climate change.

Mount Maunganui, an extinct volcano and a culturally significant Māori site, has experienced slips before, but the scale of this event and the timing during a busy holiday period have compounded human and economic costs. Authorities urged caution near all affected slopes as searches continue and families await news of the missing.