By Lucy Craymer
WELLINGTON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Rescue workers in New Zealand searched on Thursday for several people missing, including children, following a landslide at a campsite as heavy rains caused widespread damage and left thousands without power.
Homes were evacuated and roads closed as the heavy rain hit almost the entire eastern seaboard of the North Island.
The landslide happened at 9:30 a.m. local time (2030 GMT Wednesday), sending rubble barrelling down on the campsite in Mount Maunganui,
a popular tourist spot on the northern coast of New Zealand.
One witness, Nix Jaques, told Radio NZ she heard an incredibly loud noise as she was about to walk up a mountain.
"I turned around and I could see the land coming down onto some structures," she said. "There were some vehicles that were moved. It came down on an ablutions block - I believe there were some people in the showers - and it shifted a campervan, there was a family with a campervan."
SIGNS OF LIFE DETECTED
Hundreds of families at the site were evacuated and emergency services were working to locate anybody who remains in the area, authorities said at a press conference.
The number of people missing was in the "single figures", said Police District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson.
"It is possible we could find someone alive", he said.
Fire and Emergency Commander William Park said first responders had detected signs of life in the rubble but withdrew after concerns of further ground movement.
"My understanding was members of the public... tried to get into the rubble and did hear some voices. Our initial fire crew arrived and were able to hear the same. Shortly after our initial crew arrived we withdrew everyone from the site due to the possible movement of the slip," Park said.
Local media cited Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell as saying children were among those missing and that helicopters had been deployed to help with search and rescue efforts.
PEOPLE MISSING ELSEWHERE AFTER LANDSLIDE, CAR WASHED AWAY
Another landslide struck a house in neighbouring Papamoa and two people were missing, police said.
In another incident on Wednesday, a person was missing after being washed away in their vehicle north of Auckland.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on X that he was "actively monitoring situations across the country" including in Mt Maunganui.
"The good news is everyone responded very quickly. There was time to get prepared, and that helps to mitigate and create a strong response," Mitchell told Radio NZ.
New Zealand Transport Authority reported road closures in Northland, Bay of Plenty and Waikato and local authorities said some small communities were cut off due to damage to the roads.
New Zealand forecaster MetService has lifted all weather warnings in the North Island as the tropical low moves east. Some warnings remain in place for the South Island, but they are expected to ease on Thursday, it said.
(Reporting by Lucy Craymer in Wellington; Additional reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Rod Nickel and Alistair Bell)
