A schoolboy reportedly went missing on Tuesday (May 9) when in Northland, New Zealand. News agencies reported citing officials that the boy was on a school trip to caves, and at the same time heavy rain and thunderstorms caused flash flooding and landslides across the upper North Island.
As quoted by news agency Reuters, New Zealand police Superintendent Tony Hill said in a statement that a group of high school students got into difficulty and one person was missing at the Abbey Caves, near Whangarei.
Hill said that at about 10.35am (local time), it was reported the group was in difficulty. Some of the group had “made it out” safely, but one student remained unaccounted for. He added, “Our thoughts are with the ‘whanau’ (family) of the missing child, as well as all those involved in the group outing and the school.”
Hill said: “The incident is still very much developing and we will provide further updates as they become available. Our thoughts are with the whānau of the missing child, as well as all those involved in the group outing and the school.”
Issuing a safety advisory, the city’s mayor, Wayne Brown, said that “Auckland is experiencing widespread flooding and torrential rain. Please take care and follow advice”.
Authorities have informed that a search and rescue operation is currently underway with crews from the police and the fire service being deployed in the area.
Local media reported that the group was apparently from Whangarei Boys High School. A source told the New Zealand-based Herald that the trapped group was a Year 11 outdoor education class. The school authorities announced on its Facebook page that the school would close early on Tuesday but did not specify the reason.
In recent days, the area has received heavy rains. The local civil defence authority said that the region is under a severe thunderstorm warning.
The council website says that the Abbey Caves are roughly five kilometres (three miles) from the city of Whangarei and feature three caves that “are prone to flash flooding”.
(With inputs from agencies)
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