New Zealand police have now confirmed that six people, including two teenagers, remain unaccounted for. The youngest of those missing is just 15 years old.

It’s also suspected that an additional three missing individuals are tourists who had departed the site before the disaster struck. A police spokesperson stated: “We have been unable to establish the whereabouts of three further individuals.

“While we do not currently believe they were involved in the slip, further enquiries are required to rule it out. Those three parties are believed to be tourists, and we believe it is likely they left the area.”

Rescue teams sifted through the debris all day on Thursday after torrential rain caused devastating damage. The calamity occurred at the well-visited tourist spot, approximately 240 kilometres south-east of Auckland.

The police added: “We are wrapping support around the families of those whose loved ones are unaccounted for. We would also like to acknowledge the wider community, who have similarly shown such an outpouring of support and empathy for those affected, including the family of those who died in Welcome Bay.

“There are still thousands of people across the region affected by this weather event, and police, alongside other agencies, are working to support our communities.”

Reports from local outlets indicated screams emanated from beneath the debris as the landslide consumed tents, campervans and shower facilities. Fisherman Alister Hardy recalled hearing “rolling thunder and cracking of trees”, before witnessing “the whole hillside gave way”.

“There were people running and screaming and I saw people get bowled. There are people trapped,” he recalled.

The area experienced unprecedented rainfall, with two-and-a-half months’ worth of precipitation occurring within just 12 hours.