Two people have died and several are feared buried after landslides in New Zealand's North Island.

The deaths were reported at Welcome Bay, while rescue workers are still searching through rubble at a different site in a popular campground on Mount Maunganui.

There are no "signs of life", authorities said, adding that they have a "rough idea" of how many people are missing but are waiting for an exact figure. They provided no other details except that the group includes "at least one young girl".

The landslides were triggered by heavy rains over the last few days, which led to flooding and power outages across North Island. One minister said the east coast resembled "a war zone".

New Zealand is "heavy with grief" after the "profound tragedy" caused by recent weather, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on X.