Floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in New Zealand’s North Island have left many people missing.
Published on January 22, 2026
Rescue workers are searching for dozens of people, including children, who are missing after a landslide in New Zealand, where houses were evacuated and roads closed after heavy rain battered the entire east coast of the country’s North Island.
Several people are missing after a landslide hit Mount Maunganui Holiday Park on the North Island at 9:30 am local time (20:30 GMT, Wednesday) on Thursday afternoon.
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According to Radio New Zealand, the landslide blocked campervans and showers at the popular tourist spot during the final week of the summer school holidays.
Two people are missing after a landslide hit a house in neighboring Papamoa, police said. According to Radio New Zealand, a 47-year-old man went missing after trying to cross the Mahurangi River north of Auckland and his car got stuck in floodwaters.
Briefing reporters about rescue efforts underway at Mount Maunganui, officials said they still hoped to find survivors but the possibility of further landslides was hampering operations.
Police District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said he would not comment on the number of missing people, saying only that “it’s in the single figures”, saying “we will find someone alive”.
Fire and Emergency Commander William Park said first responders found signs of life in the rubble but withdrew out of concern for further ground movement.
“I had members of the public … they tried to get into the rubble and they heard some noises. Our initial fire crews arrived and they could hear it. Shortly after our initial crews arrived, we withdrew everyone from the site due to possible slip movement,” Park said.
Local media quoted Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell as saying that children were among the missing.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on X that he was “actively monitoring the situation around the country”, including Mount Maunganui.
Climate change, extreme rainfall and other disasters caused by fossil fuels and other pollutants are becoming more frequent, causing unprecedented flooding in places around the world.
Scientists have warned that unless significant steps are taken to reduce pollution, such extreme weather will continue to worsen.