Overview
- Police say at least six people were buried and as many as nine may be involved, with two teenagers among the missing and checks continuing on possible foreign tourists.
- The slide struck the Beachside Holiday Park, burying a shower and toilet block as bystanders tried to remove its roof before reported cries for help fell silent.
- Rescue operations continue with specialist search teams, about 40 firefighters, scent dogs and heavy machinery, but unstable, moving mud is curbing direct entry and digging.
- In a separate landslide at a Tauranga home, two people were recovered dead after earlier reports that residents were unaccounted for.
- Days of exceptional rainfall saturated the North Island and more heavy rain is forecast on soaked ground, with local emergencies declared and officials urging caution.