Rescue efforts are underway to find multiple people who are missing, including children, in the wake of a horrific landslide which has swept across part of New Zealand.
The landslide hit a camp at the base of Mount Maunganui, a popular holiday site, on the morning of 22 January which crushed tents and struck buildings.
The Independent reports that rescuers heard voices calling for help at first but they have since fallen silent, with the landslide following several days of torrential rain that officials said had turned parts of the country's east coast into 'a war zone'.
Around 40 firefighters were deployed to the site of the landslide to help locate anybody who might be trapped beneath the rubble, but first responders were forced to pull back from the immediate area due to concerns over further movements in the ground.
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Several people are missing in the wake of the Mount Maunganui landslide. According to the New Zealand Herald, one woman managed to go between campers and wake them from their beds to warn them about the landslide, though a witness who praised her bravery said they feared she'd become trapped in a shower block that had since been buried in the landslide.
The witness said: "I just want you to know that one of the women that's in that shower block, she was a hero.
"She went around at 5 o'clock this morning and she got us all out of bed and she woke us all up so that we could move out, and she's not out."
The latest updates from the BBC have said that rescuers searching the campsite have seen no signs of life, but were still combing through the rubble with dogs in the hopes of finding someone who might still be alive.
Teams are 'carefully removing' debris and deputy national commander for the Urban Search and Rescue team Megan Stiffler said they would keep looking.
"This is a complex and high-risk environment, and our teams are working to achieve the best possible outcome while keeping everyone safe. The teams will be operating overnight until the search is complete," she said.
Sadly there are other disasters in the country, as two people have died as a result of a separate landslide at Welcome Bay in Papamoa.
New Zealand authorities have also called off a search for a man who was swept away in a river yesterday.
The Bay of Plenty on New Zealand's North Island has also experienced flooding and power outages due to heavy rainfall, and search and rescue operations are underway after another landslide in that area.
"Our highest priority is in the Bay of Plenty operations," Stiffler said, "I’d like to acknowledge the families impacted by what’s happened. All our thoughts are with them tonight."
Topics: Weather, World News, News
Joe Harker