6 remain missing in landslide that kills 2 at New Zealand campground

ISTANBUL

Six people, including teenagers, remained missing on Friday after two people were confirmed dead when a landslide struck a campground on New Zealand’s northern coast a day earlier, following record rainfall, according to Radio New Zealand.

China’s Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong confirmed that one of the victims was a Chinese national.

The landslide hit a campsite at Mount Maunganui, flattening tents and sweeping a campervan into nearby hot pools on Thursday.

The whereabouts of three others also remain unknown, however, it is believed they are tourists who may have left the area.

Search and rescue efforts are continuing to locate the missing.

Police District Commander Tim Anderson said it is "still very much a rescue operation," noting that survivors have been found in similar situations in other cases.

The Tauranga area and the surrounding Western Bay of Plenty District, where Mount Maunganui is located, recorded their wettest day on record, with about two and a half months’ worth of rain falling in just 12 hours.

Several state highways in Coromandel will remain closed over the weekend due to multiple slips, debris flows, and pavement damage caused by heavy rain across the network.