Landslip strands 'up to 1,000' at popular tourist site in New Zealand
Civil defence teams say the tourists may be stranded until Friday and are now trying to find out which supplies they need.
Monday 9 December 2019 01:28, UK
A large landslip has left up to 1,000 people stranded at a popular tourist site in New Zealand, according to the country's civil defence.
In a video statement, local civil defence controller John Canning said mudslides near the Franz and Fox glaciers on the country's south island left tourists trapped.
He said an exit had since been cleared at the Fox Glacier, but at least 800, and "possibly a thousand", people were still stranded at the Franz Josef Glacier, and could be there until Friday.
It is a "very awkward few days where people are going to be trapped", he added.
Mr Canning went on to say crews were working out whether the group had supplies, and whether there was anything they needed.
The incident comes amid a weekend of extreme weather across parts of New Zealand that caused further mudslides, flooding and power outages.
Widespread flooding was reported in the Timaru district, which has also been in a state of emergency since Saturday.
Timaru Council said it would be carrying out assessments on Monday and providing support for those living in houses affected by the floods.
It added that delays to journey times between Timaru and Christchurch could be affected due to a backlog of traffic and limited access on the roads.
A thunderstorm warning was later put in place for parts of the north island, but this had passed by Monday morning, according to the country's meteorological service.
"Today is mainly fine, though there are a few showers around too," it added.