Hundreds have gathered “together in aroha” at Mount Maunganui tonight for a vigil for victims of the landslides in Tauranga last week.
Mourners were invited to head to Coronation Park from 7pm this evening for “quiet connection, shared grief, and peaceful reflection”, the Tauranga City Council said. It will be followed by a karakia at 8pm.
“Our community is grieving deeply. This is a time for us to come together with compassion, to honour the lives lost, and to wrap support around those who have been affected,” Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said.
“There is no right way to grieve – some may come to reflect in silence, others to stand alongside neighbours and whānau. However people choose to take part, they are welcome.
“This is a gathering of the community, where we can stand in solidarity with the families affected by this terrible tragedy. We come together to say thank you to all the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue to work tirelessly to return loved ones to their families.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins also visited the site of the tragedy earlier today.
“Words feel inadequate to capture the depth of loss being felt, or the quiet strength of those working tirelessly to support the whānau so profoundly affected,” Hipkins said on social media.
“I wanted to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in this work. Our aroha continues to be with those who have lost so much.
“Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui.”
This afternoon, the second victim of the landslip at a Mount Maunganui holiday park was formally identified as 20-year-old Swedish tourist Loke Bernhardsson.
The first victim of the landslip was yesterday formally identified as Max Furse-Kee, 15.
Six people were missing after a slip at Beachside Holiday Park at the base of Mauao last Thursday struck the campsite’s toilet and shower block, knocking over campervans and tents.
Around 4.15am that same day, two people were killed after a slip extensively damaged their house on Welcome Bay Rd in Pāpāmoa.
They were formally identified on Tuesday as Austen Keith Richardson, 10, and his grandmother, 71-year-old Yao Fang.
Recovery work at slip site resumes
Recovery work at the site of last week’s devastating landslide at Mt Maunganui has resumed after being suspended for a few hours due to concerns about land movement.
Police earlier said technology installed to monitor any movement of the land was triggered just after 10.30am, halting all work.
“The systems installed are designed to trigger any potential land movements and excess water within the scene,” Detective Inspector Lew Warner said.
“All staff working at the scene have been withdrawn, pending further assessments.”
The Prime Minister spent the day meeting residents across the motu who were affected by the extreme weather. (Source: 1News)
Workers were cleared to return to the site after geotechnical experts carried out a “thorough examination” of the area.
Warner said work restarted officially at 2pm, after the team received confirmation from experts that the area was safe to enter and resume operations.
“Following consultation with a number of experts on the ground, the recovery teams have been given the green light to continue with the recovery,” he said.
“While the suspension of work is frustrating for everybody involved, the correct measures must be taken to ensure the safety of everybody at the scene.
“I want to reiterate that it is absolutely necessary that we do everything in our power to keep the recovery team safe.
“These people have been working tirelessly in a range of testing conditions across the last week, to bring families their loved ones back.”
Warner acknowledged the outpouring of support from the “extremely tight knit” Mount Maunganui community.
“Ever since this devastating event, they have come together and offered any assistance they can for the families, the emergency workers and everybody impacted,” he said.
“We would also like to acknowledge the many staff assisting with the recovery. Not just the recovery team, but our family liaison officers and other specialist staff across the board.”
The recovery effort was expected to continue in the coming days.
The process of identifying the remains recovered is also taking place at a local court. (Source: 1News)
The cordon around the scene of the slip, which ploughed through Beachside Holiday Park near the Mount, was moved earlier to allow businesses to reopen.
Yesterday, Bay of Plenty Civil Defence said the state of local emergency declared for Tauranga City and Western Bay of Plenty District councils would be extended.
The council areas encompassed the sites of the two deadly landslides in Pāpāmoa and at Mt Maunganui, with two so far confirmed dead and six unaccounted for.
The extension came into force immediately before the initial state of emergency was lifted and remained in effect for the next seven days.