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A staff member from Morrinsville Intermediate School and two students from Pakūranga College are among the six people now confirmed as unaccounted for following the landslide at Mount Maunganui on January 22.
Morrinsville Intermediate confirmed on social media this afternoon, January 24, that one of its staff members, Lisa Maclennan, was among those trapped in the landslide.
“It is with great sadness that we need to inform you that one of our staff members, Lisa Maclennan (our amazing Literacy Centre tutor), is one of the people trapped in the landslide at Mount Maunganui,” the school said.
“We continue to hope and pray for Lisa. Our love and aroha go out to Lisa’s family; we ask that you respect their privacy at this very difficult time.”
In the past hour, Jenny Clark, on behalf of the Pakūranga College Board of Trustees and staff, confirmed the deaths of two students.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of two Pakūranga College students, Max Furse-Kee and Sharon Maccanico, in the tragedy at Mount Maunganui,” the statement said.
“The college has been in contact with both families to express our heartfelt sympathy and aroha.
“Many members of the college have been deeply impacted by the news and we are working to support students and staff in the coming days and weeks. The wellbeing of our college community is paramount as the school year starts next week under incredibly sad circumstances.”
The school said parents had been emailed advice and information to help support children as they process the tragedy.
Search moves into recovery phase
Police this afternoon released the names of all six people unaccounted for, as the search formally moved into a recovery phase.
Bay of Plenty District Commander Tim Anderson said the operation was handed over to Police by Fire and Emergency New Zealand at 11.20am.
“Every single person involved in this operation has been focused solely on saving the lives of the people under the slip,” Anderson said.
“Search teams have been working through the slip layer by layer, but tragically it is now apparent that we will not be able to bring them home alive.”
Anderson said families were informed of the development this morning and continue to receive wraparound support.
“They are going through something very few people could understand, and we ask that they be given space to grieve.”
Names of those unaccounted for
Police have confirmed the six people unaccounted for are:
- Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, of Morrinsville
- Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, from Sweden
- Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, of Rotorua
- Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, of Ngongotahā
- Sharon Maccanico, 15, of Auckland
- Max Furse-Kee, 15, of Auckland
Challenging recovery operation
Search teams have located human remains beneath the slip, with formal identification now under way.
“I urge people to remember that we are in the early stages of the investigation and, out of respect for the victims, their families and the Coronial process, we will not go into detail about what we have found,” Anderson said.
He said crews, supported by contractors and heavy machinery, are continuing to work through sodden debris toward the amenities block.
“The building suffered catastrophic damage and we are confronted with the reality that it is highly unlikely anyone would have been able to survive,” he said.
“The material that slipped from the mountain is waterlogged, extremely heavy, and hit with massive force. This is an incredibly challenging scene to work through, and those involved are doing their jobs admirably and respectfully.”
Support is being offered to all personnel involved in the recovery.
Coronial process under way
Responsibility for identifying the victims now rests with the Coroners Court of New Zealand, with an internationally recognised disaster victim identification (DVI) process being followed.
Chief Coroner Anna Tutton said she was deeply saddened by the deaths.
“I want to reassure families and friends that the people you love, who have died in this tragedy, will be cared for and treated with dignity and respect as we work through the necessary processes,” she said.
Victims will be taken to the Hamilton mortuary, where post-mortem examinations may be carried out. Identification, she said, can be complex and time-consuming.
“I can’t say how long the identification process will take, but I give my absolute assurance that we will work very carefully and as quickly as we can to reunite families.”
Information on the disaster victim identification process is available via the Coroners Court.
