More than 500 stuck in Coromandel due to slips

Photo / Lisa Fox

More than 500 people are stranded in the Coromandel settlements of Tapu and Temata due to slips which have blocked all access to the area.

A big slip has blocked Thames Coast Rd near Ruamahunga Bay, which could take up two days to clear, and two smaller slips - one south of Coromandel on Thames Coast Rd and one on Tapu Coroglen Rd - have blocked all other access, Thames-Coromandel Civil Defence coordinator Ron White said.

The big slip was threatening a house and residents had been forced to evacuate, he said.

Ron Efford, who owns a hotel and camping ground in Tapu, told NZPA the campground was at capacity and hundreds of disgruntled campers had been forced to stay put since yesterday, as had the area's about 400 residents.

Mr Efford was unhappy at the way Civil Defence had responded to the situation, as no work had been done to clear the smaller slips, which would have allowed people to get out, albeit via a longer route.

"We're totally locked in and what's brassing me off is that they didn't do any work yesterday to try and get us out the other ways, they're just focusing on the big slip which is going to take about two days.

"There are two other ways out of here but they're (Civil Defence) not interested in those," he said.

Everyone in the area was coping and there were plenty of supplies to get them through the next few days, he said.

Mr White was hopeful the Tapu Coroglen Rd would be cleared today.

- NZPA