“Could Take Days”: Search for Missing Intensifies as Disaster Teams Arrive at Mount Maunganui Slip

By Lions Roar Aotearoa News

MOUNT MAUNGANUI, BAY OF PLENTY (Friday, January 23, 2026) — Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has delivered a somber update to the families waiting at Mount Maunganui, warning that it could take several days to reach those trapped beneath the “massive” landslide that devastated the local campground on Thursday morning.

As specialized Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) teams and family liaison officers arrive in Tauranga, the focus remains on a painstaking search-and-recovery operation involving hundreds of emergency personnel.

🏚️ A Dangerous and Deliberate Search

The landslide, which struck around 9:30 AM on Thursday, buried the campground’s toilet and shower block and crushed numerous campervans and tents.

The Scale: A “massive” amount of earth moved off the hillside. Digger teams are working to clear debris, but the risk of further slips is hampering speed.
The Silence: Early on, rescuers could hear screaming from beneath the rubble. However, after being forced to retreat for their own safety when the slip moved again, those voices have since fallen silent.
Commissioner’s Warning: “We have to be very careful,” Chambers said. “It could be days… we appreciate everybody is anxious, but we have to be ready for everything.”

💔 The Missing: A “Hero” Among the Rubble

While official numbers are being kept close to the chest to allow for the “reconciliation” of guests who may have checked out early, sources suggest as many as nine people, including children, remain unaccounted for.

In a heartbreaking detail, survivors have identified one of the women trapped in the shower block as a hero.

“She went around at 5 o’clock this morning and she got us all out of bed… she woke us all up so that we could move out… and she’s not out,” one survivor told reporters.

📊 Mount Maunganui Disaster: Current Status

Detail	Status Update
Missing Persons	Estimated in “single figures” (Sources say up to 9)
Rescue Teams	Police, FENZ, LandSAR, and Dog Teams active.
Site Safety	High risk; further slips possible.
Support	Disaster Identification Teams and Family Liaison on site.
Key Location	Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park.

🧐 Questions for Later

While the immediate priority is saving lives and stabilizing the slip, Commissioner Chambers acknowledged that “answers will need to be provided” regarding the lack of a pre-emptive evacuation, given the severe weather warnings that were in place prior to the disaster.

Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell described the atmosphere at the nearby surf club, where parents are waiting for news, as “heartbreaking.”