Six missing after landslide hits New Zealand campsite

Officials have warned the search for those missing could take several days.

Published On 23 Jan 2026

Six people, including two teenagers, are missing after a landslide struck a busy campground on New Zealand’s North Island, as rescue teams continued searching through debris, authorities have said.

The landslide was triggered by heavy rain at about 9: 30am local time on Thursday (20: 30 GMT on Wednesday) at Mount Maunganui on the island’s east coast, sending soil and rubble crashing onto a campsite in the city of Tauranga crowded with families on summer holidays.

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Officials warned on Friday that the search for those missing could take several days, as unstable conditions continued to complicate rescue efforts at the site.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told the New Zealand Herald that safety concerns meant teams would have to proceed slowly, despite the urgency of the operation.

“It could be days, and we appreciate that everybody is anxious and waiting for their loved ones, and for some answers, but we also have to be very careful,” Chambers said.

A drone view of diggers working at a campsite damaged by a landslide caused by heavy rains, in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, January 23, 2026. TVNZ via REUTERS TV/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NEW ZEALAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NEW ZEALAND. AUSTRALIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN AUSTRALIA. No use New Zealand internet sites/any internet site of any New Zealand or Australia based media organisations or mobile platforms. — A drone view of diggers working at a campsite damaged by a landslide caused by heavy rains, in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, January 23, 2026 [TVNZ via Reuters]

Emergency services said significant resources had been deployed to the area, with crews methodically removing debris and checking it piece by piece.

“We have 25 personnel working with contractors and their diggers and police dogs, as well as police operations to ensure that every inch of soil removed is worked through,” said David Guard, a fire and emergency official.

Authorities said those still unaccounted for include a 15-year-old, as police continued efforts to clarify the whereabouts of others potentially linked to the site.

Police commander Tim Anderson told reporters that officers were attempting to make contact with three additional people, although early indications suggested they were not at the campground when the landslide struck.

He added that rescuers had not detected any further signs of life since first responders initially heard voices coming from beneath the debris on Thursday.