Ohope Beach Landslide - Possible Loss of Life

At about 11.55 this morning a large landslide occurred at the west end of Ohope Beach.

This landslide engulfed a house on West End Road.

Wreckage from the landslide covers nearly a quarter of an acre.

The ground behind and around the landslide is still very unstable and a number of other houses in the area have been evacuated.

There is also a very large Pohutakawa Tree on the verge of falling down the cliff onto the houses below.

An elderly male managed to evacuate himself from the house engulfed by the land slide however Police have grave fears for the safety of a seventeen year old male who is believed to be still in the house.

There are a large number of emergency personnel on site including trained urban search and rescue staff and civil engineers together with heavy equipment for earth moving.

Emergency services are committed to reach the area of the house where the missing person is believed to be however are having to exercise caution due to the unstable nature of the ground around the scene.