Police have provided images from inside the search of the recovery operation at Mount Maunganui, just over one week on from the fatal landslip which at the time left six people unaccounted for.
Since the landslide, which occurred at a holiday park in Mount Maunganui on the morning of January 22, police have used hundreds of specialised staff across a number of workgroups.
This included a "significant number" of staff which have travelled "from around the country to Mount Maunganui in recent days", according to Bay of Plenty district commander Superintendent Tim Anderson.
Anderson said it has been a challenging operation for everyone involved.
"As this operation reaches week two, it gives a great indication of the sheer scale of what we're working with here."
Police have continued to call on staff from out of the district.
“Over the course of the last week, Police staff from several districts have come into the region to assist with the recovery operation, as well as relieve some of our staff who have worked incredibly hard.
“It has been warm the last couple of days, so we need to maintain our focus on staff safety.”
Specialist technology which was brought to the site on Sunday remains in place. Anderson said the technology has been a "great contributor" to the safety of staff working at the scene.
"It was imperative that this technology was brought up and installed, and we have already seen success in its purpose, when staff were alerted to an issue with excess water within the scene on Thursday January 29, suspending search efforts temporarily.
The process of identifying the remains recovered is also taking place at a local court. (Source: 1News)
"While there is no way for us to control a natural hazard, the technology has greatly assisted our recovery teams by providing another safety method for those who are working meticulously to bring people back to their loved ones."
Anderson said while recovery teams have made good progress in recent days, "there is still a lot of work to do".
He said due to the nature of the work being undertaken, police did not have a timeline on when the work would be complete.
“We are here for those grieving and for the families that have lost loved ones in this tragedy. The teams on scene are doing a great job at looking after each other, and we all want to reunite families with their loved ones.”
SHARE ME