BBC Breakfast has delivered a profoundly saddening update on the tragic events unfolding in New Zealand, following a series of devastating landslides that struck the North Island earlier this week.
Ongoing Search and Rescue Efforts
During this morning's broadcast on January 23, presenters Charlie Stayt and Sarah Campbell relayed the latest information regarding the emergency situation. The programme confirmed that search teams are continuing their critical work at the scene of a major landslide that impacted a popular campsite in Mount Maunganui.
Current Status of Missing Persons
Local authorities have reported that at least six individuals remain unaccounted for in the aftermath of the disaster. Among those missing are two teenage boys, with the youngest confirmed to be just 15 years old. Additionally, three other campers are listed as not having checked out of the Beachside Holiday Park campground, though officials acknowledge they may have departed before the landslide occurred.
Emergency management minister Mark Mitchell provided further details, explaining that the first landslide struck a residential property in the Welcome Bay community at approximately 4:50am local time. While two occupants managed to escape the house, tragically, two individuals were trapped inside and their bodies were recovered hours later. Reports indicate the victims were a child and his grandmother.
Scene Report from New Zealand
Jordyn Rudd, reporting live from the site for TVNZ, described the ongoing operation as "very much still an active and evolving situation". Dozens of emergency vehicles and personnel remain at the location, working tirelessly to clear substantial amounts of dirt and debris as they search for those still missing.
Photographic evidence from the scene shows the extensive damage caused by the landslide, with travel trailers, vehicles, and a shower block completely crushed under tonnes of mud and rubble. The search operation is being conducted under challenging conditions, described by officials as complex and high-risk due to the unstable nature of the ground.
Weather Conditions and Further Impact
BBC correspondent Phil Mercer provided additional context during the programme, noting that "it could be days before the scale of this tragedy on New Zealand's Bay of Plenty is known". The landslides were triggered by record-breaking rainfall that caused part of a hillside to collapse, burying multiple structures at the holiday park.
Mercer further explained that violent storms have caused widespread disruption across the region, triggering multiple landslides and extensive flooding. Several communities have been completely cut off, and weather forecasts predict more thunderstorms and strong winds expected over the coming weekend, potentially hampering rescue efforts.
Rescue teams are employing heavy machinery and specially trained sniffer dogs in their painstaking search through the debris. The operation continues to be officially classified as a rescue mission, with no indication from authorities that this status will change imminently.
