A witness has described seeing a caravan tossed into a pool and widespread damage after a “massive” landslide destroyed parts of the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park, with several people unaccounted for.
A large slip hit the campsite at Mount Maunganui mid-morning, and there are fears that children are among those trapped. Police have confirmed emergency services are trying to find several people who may be buried. RNZ understands there are children among the missing.
People are advised to avoid the area, and Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell is at the campsite.
The landslide has come down onto a building, caravans, tents and vehicles at the base of the iconic mountain.
The campsite has been evacuated, and Adams Ave is closed while emergency services work to locate anybody who remains in the area, police said.
A Fire and Emergency urban search and rescue vehicle entered the police cordon at midday.
Camper Carly Motley said when they assessed the damage this morning, there was “the massive slip coming through the walkway on the ocean side”.
“Then literally 15 minutes ago the sirens started and we ran over to the harbour side and there’s been a massive slip.
“The toilet block up the top has been taken out with a number of caravans.
“It’s all slid right down through the hot pools ... there’s been helicopters, surf lifesavers are over there helping, and they’re just trying to cut into the toilet block at the moment.”
Motley said campers had been evacuated to the Surf Life Saving Club for a roll call.
A witness said he could hear people screaming and was concerned some may be trapped.
He said the slip had hit tents and campervans.
Canadian tourist Dion Siluch said he was having a massage at the Mount Hot Pools this morning when “the whole room began to violently shake”.
He said it was very loud, but he and the masseuse had “no idea what was going on”, so they continued the massage for about 10 minutes until someone banged on the door.
“I looked outside the window and there was a caravan in the Mount pool.”
He walked outside and began filming, capturing a campervan at the edge of a muddy pool.
“It’s a pretty big disaster.“
He and his wife and two children, 1 and 3, had been staying at the campground in a cabin for four nights. He said there was no power or water now, so they were packing up to leave.
He told the Herald the initial response was “pretty chaotic”.
“Everyone was scrambling to find out if everyone was all right.”
Broadcaster Brian Kelly, who was at the scene, told Newstalk ZB he had never seen as many emergency vehicles in one place in Tauranga.
“There were over 30 police cars rushed to the scene, there’s a couple of helicopters, including a Royal New Zealand Air Force helicopter, there’s seven or eight fire engines, a digger has just gone in.”
He said there had been an “overnight downpour” in the area.
Video footage shows emergency services racing to the scene at Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park, with at least one building - the campsite’s ablution block - extensively damaged.
The campground’s hot pools have also been hit from behind, with a witness describing water rushing on to the road from the site.
Several witnesses were concerned that people may be trapped, with screams reportedly heard from the campsite.
At least a dozen people could be seen on the roof of the damaged ablution block attempting to get inside, with a campervan and ute lifted onto it by the slip, while a rescue helicopter had landed at the scene.
Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said the landslide was an evolving situation.
“At this stage, we are aware that some people are unaccounted for, and our thoughts are with them, their families, and everyone affected.
“We are doing all we can on the ground and providing support to campground staff and visitors.
“This is a deeply distressing event, and our priority right now is the safety and well-being of those involved.”
Earlier, a Mount resident said at least eight police cars and three fire trucks with sirens blaring headed past her in the Mount towards Mauao. The witness estimated the slip was about 150m long.
There were streams of water pouring out of manmade holes exposed by the slip, she said.
A resident across the road from the campsite said it sounded “like a truck full of glass rolling over and over”.
Another witness said there had been a second, smaller slip at the campsite, pausing the rescue efforts.
A reporter at the scene said police were closing all roads to the campground.
The mountain is fully closed to the public until further notice because of large slips that have made the area unsafe.