New Zealand was grappling with fresh tragedy on Friday after landslides on the North Island left two people dead and several others feared buried, as days of relentless rain continued to batter large parts of the country.
The confirmed deaths occurred in Welcome Bay, while rescue teams pressed on through the night at a separate and more complex site on Mount Maunganui, a popular coastal campground. Authorities said there were no signs of life at the site, adding that they had a preliminary estimate of how many people were missing, including at least one young girl, but were still working to confirm the number.
Heavy rainfall over recent days has triggered widespread flooding, power outages, and ground instability across the island. Several eastern regions have been placed under a state of emergency, including Bay of Plenty, Northland, Coromandel, Tairāwhiti, and Hauraki. In Tauranga alone, local media reported that nearly three months’ worth of rain fell within a single day.
Footage from Mount Maunganui, an extinct volcano and sacred Māori site, showed a massive landslip near the base of the volcanic dome. Rescuers and sniffer dogs could be seen navigating crushed caravans and flattened tents in what officials described as a high-risk environment. Megan Stiffler, deputy national commander of the Urban Search and Rescue team, said operations would continue overnight despite the dangers.
Survivors described moments of panic as the hillside gave way. Australian tourist Sonny Worrall told local broadcaster TVNZ he heard a loud crack before seeing earth and debris rushing downhill. “I just ran,” he said, recalling how close he came to the slide while swimming nearby. Another witness, hiker Mark Tangney, said he heard screams from beneath the rubble that eventually fell silent.
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Elsewhere on the island, the extreme weather has taken a broader toll. Thousands of homes lost power, roads were cut off, and a surf club near Mount Maunganui was evacuated amid fears of further landslides. One minister described parts of the east coast as resembling a “war zone.”
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the country was “heavy with grief” following what he called a profound national tragedy. Emergency officials stressed that while preparation and rapid response helped limit damage in some areas, the scale of the event has been immense.
The latest flooding comes as communities are still rebuilding from past disasters, including Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023. For many New Zealanders, this week’s devastation has reopened wounds—and deepened concerns about a climate that feels increasingly unpredictable.
