The search continues for people trapped after a massive landslide at a Mount Maunganui campground. 

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said it could take “days” for families to get answers given the complexities at the scene of the Mount Maunganui landslide.

Anxious family members of those missing have gathered at the campground awaiting news of their loved ones as recovery efforts continue.

The Herald understands from a source involved in the rescue efforts that as many as nine people are unaccounted for.

It could take 'days' for families to get answers, Police Commissioner says

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told the Herald it could take “days” for families to get answers given the complexities at the scene of the Mount Maunganui landslide.

Chambers, who arrived in Tauranga late last night, said rescuers have to clear a “massive” amount of debris that's come down on top of the campsite and there’s also a risk of further movement of the slip which could slow efforts to find the missing. 

He said disaster identification staff, along with dog teams and family liaison officers are among police teams at the scene.

Campground CCTV footage being checked to confirm number of missing

Emergency management minister Mark Mitchell told RNZ first responders are still treating their search as a rescue operation.

The number of people missing would not be confirmed until it was "absolutely 100% positive", he said.

"It's pretty dynamic because there are people that left the campground that didn't necessarily let anyone know that they were gone and they're having to go back and check CCTV footage and do a thorough check.

"The safety of those involved in the search was a "massive consideration... When we think back to the loss of our two firefighters on the West Coast with a similar event that went into an area to help people and recover people from a slip and were caught by a secondary slip themselves".

Mitchell is travelling with PM Christopher Luxon today, meeting in Tauranga before travelling around the Coromandel Peninsula and the East Coast to see the extent of the damage and speak with local leaders.

'The waiting is torturous': Minister recalls officer breaking down in tears at landslide site

Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell says crews have been "working through the night" to clear earth at the Mt Maunganui slip site as they search for as many as nine missing people.

"There's a lot of earth that's come down, destroyed buildings, campervans and caravans. So it's a difficult and challenging environment, but they're working as hard and as fast as they can," he told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking.

Mitchell said first responders would be working non-stop "until they've recovered and got everyone out of there", refraining from giving a specific timeline.

"It's very tough. Obviously a very sombre mood. As I was leaving yesterday, I was talking to one of the police officers that just broke down in tears," Mitchell said.

"Everyone is trying to wrap as much support around the families as we can and try and shoulder as much as we can with them, because you can imagine, when you've got loved ones trapped in a landslide, the waiting is torturous."

An update on Bay of Plenty road closures

NZ Transport Agency reports the Tauranga Eastern Link is now following Thursday’s flooding.

SH2 from Katikati to Waihī is now also open, along with SH2 from Paengaroa to Maniatutu.

Roads still closed include SH2 through the Karangahake Gorge, SH2 from Esdaile Rd to Wainui South Rd in the Western Bay of Plenty, SH2 from Matata to Edgecumbe in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and SH2 from Opotiki to Matawai.

'Doing what we can': Rescuers work through the night, no one found in Mount Maunganui yet

Tauranga mayor Mahe Drysdale says the recovery teams have not found anyone overnight at the Mount Maunganui campground.

“They’ve moved a lot of dirt overnight. Unfortunately we’re still to identify or find anyone,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Andrew Dickens just before 6am.

Around 1.30am an NZME reporter said the diggers were not moving and it appeared workers were using spades.

Drysdale told Dickens that was because it was “still very much a rescue effort”.

“So, I think when they find places of interest, they will use spades, but the diggers are very much continuing with the search.”

A specialist search team with dogs was brought in but had to pull back during the night for their own safety as they could hear trees cracking around the slip, he said.

Thursday had been “a pretty emotional day” trying to support the families of the missing.

“You can imagine how tough a time that is when you're not sure of what is happening and where your loved ones are... But we're doing what we can.”

NZ Defence Force response

The New Zealand Defence Force has sent liaison officers and other personnel to Northland, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Thames following Wednesday's storm.

"We have had other personnel on standby ready to respond to support civil defence and emergency responses to the weather events, if they are needed," a spokesperson said in a statement.

Crew on a Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopter flew to Tauranga early Thursday morning to be available to assist with emergency response efforts.

"NZDF personnel have made contact with civil defence and emergency staff, and are integrated with the all of government response.

"We currently have about 20 NZDF personnel, the NH90 and several military vehicles in various locations to assist civil defence and emergency authorities as needed.

"NZDF personnel with a Unimog vehicle were involved in the evacuation of four residents, due to rising flood waters in the vicinity of Rotorua overnight.

"After recovering them the vehicle - which also had Police and Fire and Emergency personnel on board – became stranded due to fallen trees and flood waters affecting the road.

"While every precaution is taken, rescue vehicles can also be affected by the adverse weather conditions and blocked roads. Everyone in the Unimog was evacuated safely."

Stay away this long weekend, Thames Coromandel Civil Defence says

Thames Coromandel Civil Defence is warning there's still a long way to go for the fragile roading network.
Controller Brian Carter says crews have been out working on the roads but the network is severely damaged, particularly along the northern Eastern Seaboard.

A Civil Defence team completed a helicopter reconnaissance yesterday, assessing the damage which was described as not quite the same scale as Cyclone Gabrielle, but with very bad slips.

During the helicopter assessment the team was able to do a welfare and medicine delivery to an isolated community in Port Jackson.

Carter says the priority today is on Tairua where there are severe water supply problems, power outages and very large slips.

Tairua is under a conserve water notice as the power supply for the main water intakes has been damaged by fallen trees the plant can't be operated.

The other focus is working with NZTA to open access to Whangamatā where there are huge slips at both north and south access points.

Carter says those residents and likely some holidaymakers have been cut off for a couple days now and store shelves and supplies will be limited.

He says the aim is to get the roading network open to locals and emergency services.

Carter is telling people not to come for the long weekend, the roading network is extremely fragile and cannot handle it.