New Zealand calls off rescue efforts for six missing after landslide

Rescue efforts for six missing people buried by a landslide in New Zealand on Thursday have been called off, with efforts now moving to recovering bodies, police have said.

“Tragically it is now apparent that we will not be able to bring them home alive,” Anderson said, adding that formal identification is underway.

Two teenagers are among those who remain unaccounted for, with the youngest aged 15 years old.

Search teams located human remains beneath dirt and debris on Friday evening, Police Superintendent Tim Anderson said, after a landslide hit a popular campsite in Mount Maunganui.

“This is heartbreaking news for the families and the dozens of people who have been working day and night, hoping for a positive outcome,” Anderson said.

In a separate incident, two people died – a grandmother and her grandchild – in a different landslide at Welcome Bay, nearby Mount Maunganui, public service broadcaster Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported.

Heavy rain has fallen on New Zealand’s North Island for days, with more wet weather forecast for the area over the weekend.

Police said conditions have added to the difficulty of rescue efforts, and described the scene at Mount Maunganui as “incredibly challenging… to work through”.

Fire and emergency services worked through the night to locate those unaccounted for at the campsite before the operation was formally handed over to police on Saturday.

The safety of workers on the ground is of “upmost importance”, Anderson said.

Police have confirmed the names of the six individuals unaccounted for as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, from Morrinsville, Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, from Sweden, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, from Rotorua, and Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, from Ngongotaha.

The youngest victims have been identified by police as Sharon Maccanico, 15, from Auckland and Max Furse-Kee, 15, from Auckland.

Chief Coroner Judge Anna Tutton confirmed the identification process is underway, but warned it would likely be “complex” and “painstaking”.

“We will work very carefully – and as quickly as we can – to reunite families,” she said.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visited the site on Friday. He said it was “inspiring” to see the show of community support as locals helped clear debris in flood-hit areas.

Mount Maunganui is a sacred Māori site and one of the most popular campgrounds in New Zealand. It has been repeatedly hit by landslides in recent years.