1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 1: We've got six people unaccounted for, including two teenagers, in 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: the Mountain Montanery landslide. The PM is there, He's spoken 3 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: to the families this afternoon. They are grieving incredibly hard, 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:11,880 Speaker 1: and I know that New Zealand grieves with them, and 5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: I've passed that sentiment to each and one of the 6 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: family members and friends that are here waiting. Herald Senior 7 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 1: journalist Michael Morris there, Michael, what do we know about 8 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: those who are trapped? 9 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 2: Well at this stage, as you've said, you've got the 10 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 2: six who are confirmed as being buried beneath this huge landslide. 11 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: There are another three people who police are still trying 12 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 2: to reach. They say it's unlikely that they are buried 13 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 2: beneath the landslide, but they are still trying to contact 14 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:46,160 Speaker 2: them to rule it out. 15 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 3: What they're trying to do is go through a list 16 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 3: of all the people. 17 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 2: Who may have checked into this camping ground and ensure 18 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 2: that they did indeed leave and are not buried beneath 19 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 2: the rubble. But look, this is a constant, an ongoing 20 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 2: and fluid rescue operation. According to emergency staff, there are 21 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: diggers and trucks going in and out. It is a 22 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 2: huge and complex operation just because of the many toms 23 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,279 Speaker 2: of dirt that need to be picked up and taken 24 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 2: away from that ablution and kitchen area where we know 25 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 2: people have been trapped and taken to another sort of 26 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 2: staging area by these dump trucks away from that site. 27 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 2: So it is an incredibly tragic scene. And you know, 28 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:42,119 Speaker 2: of course, we now know that there with early warning 29 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:43,680 Speaker 2: signs about this disaster. 30 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 3: We know from about early in the morning. 31 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 2: I've just interviewed a local here in Todonger who he 32 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 2: went up the hill about quarter to eight in the 33 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 2: morning before this landslide happened, and he started taking photos 34 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 2: because he's said he saw what he described as a 35 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 2: mini waterfall coming down the bank. There were trees down, 36 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 2: there were mini slips happening all over the place, and 37 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 2: yet there was no official order to evacuate. He actually 38 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 2: was speaking to a man in his forties and his 39 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 2: daughter who he thought was about fourteen years old, and 40 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 2: their tent was pitched directly beneath the base of the 41 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 2: mountain and he was having a chat to them and 42 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 2: making sure they were okay. And then of course he 43 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 2: went home heard the sirens and he has not seen 44 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 2: those people again. He has not seen the man and 45 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 2: his daughter again, and he's desperately trying to get answers 46 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 2: whether they're okay, but he fears for the worst because 47 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 2: their tent is absolutely covered by this landslide. 48 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: Very tragic, as you say, Michael, But did anyone official 49 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 1: actually know about how bad that situation was in order 50 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: to be able to warn people. 51 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 2: Well, we absolutely know that officials started on to the 52 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 2: problem because the mount was closed, barriers were put up, 53 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 2: and people who wanted to go up and walk around 54 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 2: it was closed around the sort of eight point fifteen 55 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 2: am mark, So there was obvious signs that there was problems, 56 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 2: and officials started to act in terms of blocking people 57 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 2: from going up and doing their morning runs around the 58 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 2: popular Mount Mongmanui. But what didn't happen, it appears, is 59 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 2: the campground. Despite there being large amounts of water beneath 60 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 2: the base of the mountain, and despite there being evidence 61 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 2: of slips and trees coming down around tents, the people 62 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 2: were not moved out. We do know that there were 63 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 2: locals who were trying to urge people from early in 64 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 2: the morning to get out. I spoke to a woman 65 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 2: yesterday and publish that story about that that there were 66 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 2: people who were saying, you know, you need to get out, 67 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 2: it's not safe. 68 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 3: But obviously without that official advice, a. 69 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 2: Lot of people did not heed those warnings, and tragically 70 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 2: now we have at least six people unaccounted for it 71 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 2: still beneath that erton. 72 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: All Right, Michael, thank you for that updatet. Appreciate it. 73 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: Michael Mora, the Herald's senior journalist, on the scene for us. 74 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 2: For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 75 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 2: news Talks. 76 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 77 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.