A Devastating Landslide Strikes New Zealand, Leaving Two Dead and Six Missing
Heavy rains had battered the eastern coast of New Zealand's North Island just days before the catastrophic event that would shake the nation to its core. A series of landslides ripped through a house in Welcome Bay on Thursday morning, claiming two lives and leaving several others trapped beneath the rubble.
As emergency services scrambled to respond, police confirmed that another landslide had struck at Beachside Holiday Park near Mount Maunganui, also in the North Island. The resulting debris field was so extensive that recreational vehicles and at least one structure were crushed, leaving families who had gathered for a summer holiday in shock.
Among the missing is a 16-year-old boy and his 14-year-old sister, believed to have been trapped beneath the landslide. Police are working tirelessly to locate them, with search efforts underway late into the night on Thursday. The area remains unstable, making it difficult for rescue teams to access the site without risking further collapse.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed his condolences to the families of those affected by saying "New Zealand is full of grief today... and grieves with them." The Chinese ambassador to New Zealand also paid tribute to a Chinese citizen who lost their life in the disaster, stating that "our hearts are with the impacted families at this difficult moment."
While some have questioned why people were not evacuated after reports of a landslip at the campsite earlier in the day, officials have vowed to get to the bottom of what went wrong. Local authorities are working closely with emergency services to piece together what happened and ensure that those affected receive the support they need.
One Australian tourist who was staying at the campsite described hearing the landslide and then seeing a massive wall of debris hurtling towards him. "It was like the scariest thing I've ever experienced in my life," he said, still shaken by the event.
As the full extent of the disaster becomes clear, New Zealand is coming to terms with its grief. The country has been hit hard by severe weather events in recent days, and the latest tragedy has left many wondering how such a devastating incident could have occurred.
Heavy rains had battered the eastern coast of New Zealand's North Island just days before the catastrophic event that would shake the nation to its core. A series of landslides ripped through a house in Welcome Bay on Thursday morning, claiming two lives and leaving several others trapped beneath the rubble.
As emergency services scrambled to respond, police confirmed that another landslide had struck at Beachside Holiday Park near Mount Maunganui, also in the North Island. The resulting debris field was so extensive that recreational vehicles and at least one structure were crushed, leaving families who had gathered for a summer holiday in shock.
Among the missing is a 16-year-old boy and his 14-year-old sister, believed to have been trapped beneath the landslide. Police are working tirelessly to locate them, with search efforts underway late into the night on Thursday. The area remains unstable, making it difficult for rescue teams to access the site without risking further collapse.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed his condolences to the families of those affected by saying "New Zealand is full of grief today... and grieves with them." The Chinese ambassador to New Zealand also paid tribute to a Chinese citizen who lost their life in the disaster, stating that "our hearts are with the impacted families at this difficult moment."
While some have questioned why people were not evacuated after reports of a landslip at the campsite earlier in the day, officials have vowed to get to the bottom of what went wrong. Local authorities are working closely with emergency services to piece together what happened and ensure that those affected receive the support they need.
One Australian tourist who was staying at the campsite described hearing the landslide and then seeing a massive wall of debris hurtling towards him. "It was like the scariest thing I've ever experienced in my life," he said, still shaken by the event.
As the full extent of the disaster becomes clear, New Zealand is coming to terms with its grief. The country has been hit hard by severe weather events in recent days, and the latest tragedy has left many wondering how such a devastating incident could have occurred.
, I'm literally shaking thinking about what happened there! 2 lives lost already? 
And those 6 missing... it's like, how can one day just go from being sunny to having landslides and destruction everywhere? 
Like, the weather warnings must have been clear, but did people not take them seriously enough? 
Was there something that went wrong with evacuation plans? I don't get why ppl are asking those questions... shouldn't they be thinking about the families of the victims first? 
It's all just so sad and confusing at the same time 
.
. But at the same time, I don't think the tourists were in any way negligent or reckless... I mean, they were just trying to enjoy their holiday, right? 
And what's with all these questions about why people weren't evacuated sooner? It's not like the authorities didn't have enough resources to deal with it 
. And on the other hand, maybe they did do everything they could and it was just one of those tragic accidents that can happen anywhere... ugh, I'm so torn about this! 
The data shows that rainfall in Welcome Bay increased by over 500% in the 24 hours leading up to the disaster 
. It's no wonder the ground couldn't hold on for dear life.
. And did you see the PM's condolences? He's absolutely right, New Zealand is indeed feeling this one hard 
. It's clear we need better preparedness and emergency response measures in place for such events. We can't just rely on luck and natural disaster preparedness! 
. And for the Aussie tourist who witnessed it all, I'm sure he'll never forget this terrorizing moment either 
.
. The important thing is that our thoughts are with the families affected and the rescue teams working tirelessly to bring those missing home safely 
. I mean, yeah, maybe they should've taken precautions but to say it was a total failure of emergency services is just not fair 
. I think it's way too easy to point fingers when you're not even on the ground, you know? 
The fact that people are trapped and need help ASAP is what matters most, not whether or not they shoulda taken a different route to the beach 
. Can we just focus on finding those missing kids instead of arguing about who's at fault? 
i feel bad for the families who lost loved ones and are still trying to find their missing kids... it's like my heart is hurting for them 
was it an oversight or what?! 
. But seriously, how can we make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again?! 
. I'm thinkin' there might be more to this than meets the eye... perhaps some sorta hidden agenda or somethin' 
. Those officials are just makin' excuses, if you ask me... we should be lookin' into how this could've been prevented, not just throwin' out blame 
.
and to make things worse, they're stuck because the area is still unstable 
and I'm so sorry for the families of the two people who lost their lives 
it's just too much grief for one day 
. Thoughts are with everyone affected & their loved ones 
can only hope those missing are found safe and sound 
this is so tragic... those poor families who lost their loved ones