Emergency services in New Zealand have issued a heartbreaking update on the ongoing search and rescue operation at Mount Maunganui, where a massive landslide devastated the Beachside Holiday Park early Thursday morning, January 23, 2026. Speaking at a late-afternoon press conference, police confirmed that while 14 people have been pulled alive from the debris so far, several others — including multiple children — remain missing, and the chances of finding them alive are diminishing rapidly.

“We’re doing everything we can,” said Inspector Paul Algie of the New Zealand Police, his voice heavy with fatigue and sorrow. “But the reality is grim. The slide is massive, unstable, and the conditions are treacherous. We have specialist teams, sniffer dogs, drones, thermal imaging, and heavy machinery working non-stop, but time is against us. Several people are still unaccounted for, and we must prepare families for the worst possible outcome.”

The landslide struck just after 5:00 a.m., triggered by 72 hours of relentless heavy rain that saturated the steep volcanic slopes above the popular holiday park. A wall of mud, rock, and uprooted trees crashed down, burying tents, caravans, and sleeping families in seconds. Survivors described a deafening roar followed by chaos — screams, darkness, and the suffocating weight of earth. One woman, who escaped with her two children, told media: “The ground just opened up and swallowed everything. We heard people calling for help under the dirt… then it went silent.”

Rescuers have recovered four bodies so far, including that of an unnamed heroic woman who ran from tent to tent at 5:00 a.m., banging on doors and shouting for everyone to wake up and evacuate. Her actions are credited with saving multiple lives, but she did not make it out herself. “She was the alarm no one else was there to sound,” a survivor said. “She woke us all up… and she’s not out.”

At least 14 survivors have been hospitalized, several in critical condition with crush injuries, fractures, suspected internal trauma, and severe hypothermia from hours buried in cold, wet mud. Psychological support teams are working alongside medical staff, as many survivors are experiencing acute trauma, nightmares, and survivor’s guilt.

The Mount Maunganui community — a place synonymous with beaches, surf, and summer joy — is now united in grief. A memorial vigil is being planned, with ribbons tied to fences and candles lit along the shoreline. A Givealittle fundraising page for the victims’ families has raised more than NZ$650,000 in just 36 hours to cover medical bills, funeral costs, and long-term support.

The landslide has exposed serious questions about campsite safety. Geologists say the steep, saturated slopes were a known risk during extreme weather, yet the site had no recent major instability history. Emergency Management Minister Kris Faafoi has announced a full independent review of the park’s safety protocols, evacuation plans, warning systems, and whether sufficient monitoring was in place.

As night falls on the second day of the search, rescuers continue working under floodlights and rain. The silence after the screams — those 15 minutes of desperate cries for help — remains the most haunting part of the disaster. For families still waiting for news, every hour without contact feels like an eternity.

New Zealand mourns its lost and prays for those still buried. At the fragile edge between life and death, one question remains: what miracle is still possible for these fallen angels?