Several people remain unaccounted for as at 2pm today after a major landslide struck a campground at the base of Mount Maunganui on Thursday morning, damaging campervans, tents, vehicles and an ablution block.
Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell confirmed a young girl is among the missing, with other children also feared unaccounted for, as emergency services continue what authorities describe as an active rescue operation.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand, police, St John, and Urban Search and Rescue teams are working in difficult and unstable conditions, with sniffer dogs deployed and the wider campsite evacuated.
Officials say the exact number of missing is unclear, partly because some campers had left without checking out, while geoscientists will assess the area before it can be deemed safe.
Terrible news for the Mt Maunganui campground. People are trapped in the kitchen block and they are evacuating the camp ground and hot pools. 5 people unaccounted for. 🙏🥹 pic.twitter.com/f4pjjc1R5v
— MrsWiggley (@mrs_wiggley) January 21, 2026
Will this terrible event quench the first for the MSM’s want for death from this weather event?
Tauranga city council removed a heap of trees around here just recently…. Just saying