§  New Zealand Landslides 2026

§  Heavy Rain Triggers Deadly Slides

§  Two Dead, Several Missing in Shocking Mount Maunganui Campsite Collapse – Full Rescue Update

§  New Zealand landslides 2026 kill two, leave people missing at Mount Maunganui campsite amid heavy rain flooding

§  Get the latest on rescue efforts, eyewitness stories and North Island impacts in this full news report - Stay updated on New Zealand weather disaster and emergency responses.

§  Tourists Run for Lives as Caravans Crush in Popular Bay of Plenty Spot – Why New Zealand’s East Coast Looks Like a War Zone Now

§  Heavy rains battered New Zealand’s North Island, sparking deadly landslides that killed two and left several missing, including kids, under rubble

§  Rescue teams battle unstable terrain at Mount Maunganui campground and Welcome Bay house with no signs of life hours after voices faded

§  PM Christopher Luxon calls nation “heavy with grief” as floods cut power to thousands

Sohana A Khan, New Zealand: A massive disaster hit New Zealand’s North Island on January 22, 2026, when heavy rains caused deadly landslides. Two people died in Welcome Bay and several others – including at least one young girl – are missing at a busy campsite near Mount Maunganui. Rescue teams with dogs and helicopters are searching through mud and wrecked tents but no signs of life have been found yet. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called it a “profound tragedy” and the whole country is in shock. This full report covers the chaos, brave rescues and why more bad weather could make things worse.

Torrential downpours dumped record rain – Tauranga got 3 months in a day – triggering slips on sacred Mount Maunganui and beyond. Two bodies pulled from Welcome Bay home; up to 9 feared buried at popular holiday park near extinct volcano base. X posts explode with aerial videos, survivor screams, as emergency states hit Bay of Plenty, Northland.

Details & Context

Landslides hit Thursday amid endless rain across eastern North Island, flooding rivers, closing roads, blacking out 8,000 homes. Mount Maunganui site – Māori sacred spot, tourist hotspot – saw massive debris crush tents, caravans, showers; public heard cries before silence. Dogs, choppers, diggers comb rubble overnight in high-risk zone; nearby surf club evacuated over slip fears. One man missing swept in Mahurangi River after saving nephew; Kiribati fisher known for strength. Past Cyclone Gabrielle scars linger; wetter summers now norm.

The trouble started after days of non-stop rain across New Zealand’s North Island. On January 21 and 22, 2026, places like Tauranga in Bay of Plenty got three months’ worth of rain in just one day – that’s over 200mm in some spots, breaking records. This caused huge floods, power cuts for 8,000 homes and roads closing everywhere.

The first landslide hit a house in Welcome Bay around 4:50 AM on January 22. Two people escaped but sadly, two others were found dead inside the rubble. Then, about five hours later, a big slide slammed into Beachside Holiday Park at the base of Mount Maunganui, an old volcano that’s a top tourist spot. It crushed caravans, tents and cars, burying people under tons of dirt and trees.

Mount Maunganui is sacred to Māori people and called a “slice of paradise” for its beaches and hot pools. But landslides happen here often because of the steep hills and loose soil. This time, it’s during summer holidays, so the campsite was full of families and tourists. Police say the missing number is in “single figures” but they’re not sure yet.

Emergency teams declared a state of emergency in Bay of Plenty, Northland, Coromandel, Tairāwhiti and Hauraki. Rescuers are working non-stop, even at night, using sniffer dogs and careful digging because the ground is still unstable. A nearby surf club was evacuated too, fearing more slides.

New Zealand’s summer is usually sunny but heavy storms are getting more common. Remember Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.? It cost billions and wrecked the same areas. Experts say climate change is making rains stronger and disasters bigger.

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Quotes

·       Tourist Sonny Worrall: “Huge tree crack, dirt rush – landslide chased me while swimming. Still shaking.!”

·       Hiker Mark Tangney: “Screams of ‘Help us.!’ lasted 30 mins, then quiet. Ran to dig.”

·       Minister Mark Mitchell: “East coast war zone but quick prep saved lives.”

·       Rescue chief William Pike: “Voices from rubble early but pulled back for safety.”

·       PM Luxon on X: “Profound tragedy; follow local alerts.”

·       Australian tourist Sonny Worrall told TVNZ: “I heard this huge tree crack and all this dirt come off and then I looked behind me and there’s this huge landslide coming down. I’m still shaking from it now... I turned around and had to jump out of my seat and just run.”

·       Hiker Mark Tangney shared with New Zealand Herald: “We could hear people screaming: ‘Help us, help us, get us out of here.’ Those calls persisted for about half an hour and then went silent.”

·       Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on X: “New Zealand is heavy with grief after the profound tragedy caused by recent weather.”

·       Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell: “It’s been a very big event for us as a country, really hitting almost our entire eastern seaboard of the North Island. The good news is that everyone responded really quickly and there was time to get prepared.”

·       Urban Search and Rescue deputy commander Megan Stiffler: “This is a complex and high-risk environment and our teams are working to achieve the best possible outcome while keeping everyone safe.”

·       From X user @LASHFORD_17: “OMG Several people are unaccounted for after a slip ploughed into a camp site at the base of Mauao in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. Witnesses described ‘frightening and upsetting scenes’ as the slip took out caravans, cars and tents.”

·       X user @CSharpDad: “Crazy. It would be hard to get traction in that slop. Mount Maunganui slip, red rain.. one person swept away by the river.. mother nature reminding us that we are not in charge after all. Stay safe.”

Additional Information

State of emergency covers Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, Tairāwhiti; record wettest days reported. Fire crews heroics praised; sniffer dogs key amid crushed amenities block. X viral: Aerial landslide footage, “run for life” clips trending. Frequent slips hit this “paradise” camp lately; climate amps storm fury post-2023 cyclone NZ$13.5bn hit.

Latest updates as of January 22, 2026, show rescues still going strong. Helicopters are flying over the site and sniffer dogs are sniffing for survivors. Fire and Emergency New Zealand commander William Pike said no survivors were found three hours after the slide but hope remains. Officials worry about more rain making the ground slip again.

On X, people are sharing scary stories. @NewstalkZB posted: “Lot of urgency: Intense emergency response as slip hits Mount Maunganui campsite.” Another user @tutugd said: “OMG, have just read this. Hope everyone in the area is okay.” @AucklandIsland warned: “People missing in landslide at Mt Maunganui.”

In other spots, a 47-year-old man from Kiribati was swept away in the Mahurangi River while saving his nephew. His wife told RNZ: “I know his personality is strong, wise... He was a fisherman back home and knew how to swim and dive.” The nephew made it to safety but the man is still missing.

Social media videos show the damage: Crushed vans and mud everywhere. One X post from @blurb_nz linked to news: “Several people unaccounted for after major slip hits Mount Maunganui campsite.” Searches for “New Zealand landslides 2026” are spiking on Google and X with over 100,000 views on related posts.

Minister Mitchell compared the east coast to a “war zone,” with homes evacuated and highways flooded. This adds to recovery from past storms, like Gabrielle, which cost NZ$13.5 billion.

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Impact Analysis

Communities reel: Powerless homes, wrecked sites, rebuilding stalls from Gabrielle scars. Quick response cuts toll but grief deepens with kid fears; social media floods with prayers, shares. Wetter patterns raise alarms; tourism hotspots vulnerable. High searches on “New Zealand landslide survivors” spike engagement.

This disaster is hitting New Zealand hard. Families are heartbroken, waiting for news on missing loved ones. The tourism spot Mount Maunganui might see fewer visitors, hurting local businesses during peak summer. Power outages and road blocks are stopping daily life and floods mixed with sewage are a health risk.

On a bigger scale, it’s a wake-up call for climate change. More frequent heavy rains mean more slides and floods. Communities still rebuilding from 2023 are hit again, costing millions more. X users like @GreyPowerUHutt say the government ignores climate warnings. It could push for better warnings, stronger buildings and emergency plans.

Globally, it shows how weather disasters affect small countries. Engagement on X is high with prayers and support posts boosting awareness. But without action, these events will keep happening.

Conclusion

Rescues push through night at deadly New Zealand landslide sites but fading hopes grip North Island. Heavy rain havoc exposes climate risks; full toll awaits dawn digs.

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