The mother of one of the 15-year-olds trapped under the Mount Maunganui landslide has remembered her son as a “kind and beautiful” person.

Max Furse-Kee was one of six people who remained unaccounted-for for, believed to have been killed, after Thursday’s landslide.

“From the moment I first looked at his beautiful blue eyes almost 16 years ago he had my whole heart, he was my sunshine,” Max’s mum said in a statement on behalf of the family, released by local police.

“Life without Max is impossible to imagine. In truth, all of this feels impossible to imagine. We are endlessly proud of who he is and that he is ours.”

She added that this week he would have been turning 16.

“Just days ago, my biggest fear was him getting his driver’s licence. How I wish now that he could have experienced the joy of driving, and so many other moments that growing up brings,” she said.

“We also want to sincerely thank the entire team working at Mauao. We have been cared for with extraordinary kindness, compassion, and humanity.”

‘Highly unlikely’ to find those trapped

After a long, wet week, this weekend on the east coast of New Zealand’s north island began with sunshine and the last wisps of hope that a miracle might still occur.

Locals and visitors alike came to lay flowers, pay their respects, and pray as they looked towards the mountain that on Thursday came crashing down over a popular campsite, trapping six people.

But a forecast of rain, strong winds and even hail felt like an omen of the news that was to come.

After two days of holding out hope despite all the odds, the local police superintendent had the heart-wrenching job of announcing that no one trapped by the landslide at Mount Maunganui could have survived.

Rescue crews had worked nonstop, including through the night, since Thursday.

Overnight, they found human remains, and by Saturday’s end, New Zealand Police released the names of the six people believed to have been killed, buried under many tonnes of dirt, trees and debris that wiped out caravans and an amenities block.

“Search teams, supported by contractors and machinery, are continuing to work through the debris, towards the amenities block,” Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said.

“From what we have seen, the building suffered catastrophic damage and we are confronted with the reality that it is highly unlikely anyone would have been able to survive.”

Another victim, Lisa Maclennan, 50, was honoured by the school at which she worked.

“Lisa Maclennan (our amazing Literacy Centre tutor), is one of the people trapped in the landslide at Mount Maunganui,” Morrinsville Intermediate School posted on its Facebook page.

“We continue to hope and pray for Lisa. Our love and aroha go out to Lisa’s family.”

A 20-year-old from Sweden, Måns Loke Bernhardsson, was also identified by police.

Mayor of Rotorua Tania Tapsell paid tribute to two members of her community, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler and Susan Doreen Knowles, who were both 71.

“Mauao (Mount Maunganui) and this campground hold special family memories for so many. We are all devastated at the tragedy that has occurred,” she said on Facebook.

“We send our love and prayers to those who have lost their loved ones. The pain is impossible to imagine.

“We also acknowledge the work by those who’ve given their all to the rescue, and now recovery operation.”

Radio New Zealand reported the two women were on a camping trip together.

A popular tourist destination

Mount Maunganui is one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations.

Mauao, as it’s also known, looms large over a long spit famous for its surfing, flanked by beautiful beaches on either side.

Usually at this time of year, the area, referred to as the Noosa of New Zealand by locals, would be bustling.

“Mount Maunganui always has a great vibe, people everywhere, but now there’s no-one around, it’s heartbreaking,” local Ann Harvey told the ABC, adding that she had never imagined something like this could happen.

The landslide occurred about 9:30am on Thursday, local time, crashing over the campsite at the base of the mountain and the neighbouring Mount Hot Pools.

The night before, a state of emergency had been declared for the local area and several others, as storms and torrential rain hit the region.

Locals reported there were huge amounts of water pouring down the mountain, with questions now being asked about whether more could have been done to evacuate the entire campsite earlier.

The local Tauranga City Council said it will commission an independent inquiry into the events leading up to the disaster.

“There’s some stories that there was a slip early and that [someone] moved a few people on and potentially that has saved a number of lives,” Mayor Mahé Drysdale told the ABC.

“Further down the track, we need to answer the questions, what happened, what are the facts and what potentially could have been (done) differently.

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“But right now we’ve got to focus on supporting the emergency services and those families.”

The emotion around the site and even outside the cordon is palpable.

For the second night in a row, a Karakia (prayer in Māori) was offered by Iwi (the local Māori tribe) for the rescue and emergency crews, those supporting them and of course the families of the victims.

A rahui has been declared by Iwi, meaning it is now forbidden to walk on the mountain.

A memorial outside the police cordon, which began with a handful of white roses woven through a fence, grew throughout the day.

Despite heavy rain and gusty winds so strong they knocked a woman off her feet, locals and tourists continued to come and pay their respects.

“I just wanted to bring solidarity, the situation is devastating,” Jael Csoka, a visitor from Austria, said.

“Just to bring comfort, and also I’m a Christian, so just to pray for God’s comfort.”

Risk of more landslides

While authorities are eager to reunite families with the bodies of their loved ones as quickly as possible, the reality with the weather is that crews are working under the risk of further landslides.

A 30-metre exclusion zone was put in place last night due to that risk, applying to all boats and people, including swimmers.

Another small slip occurred at the recovery site on Friday night, and several trees immediately next to the landslide look unstable and are leaning precariously.

“As a lay person, when you look at it [further slips] would have to be a concern,” Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said.