Human remains have been found under debris at the site of the landslide that devastated a campground on New Zealand's North Island three days ago.
District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said emergency services personnel located the remains overnight.
The landslide at Mount Maunganui on the island's east coast brought soil and rubble onto the campsite in the city of Tauranga on Thursday about 9:30am, local time.
Superintendent Anderson said the search was moving into a recovery phase.
"This is heartbreaking news for us," he said.
"And obviously, the families involved."
Chief Coroner Judge Anna Tutton said a "painstakingly complex" process of identifying the remains would now take place.
"This is an unimaginably terrible time for those people who have lost the people they love," she said.
She said care would be taken to ensure any bodies found would be treated with dignity and any specific cultural needs would be adhered to as best as possible.
She said authorities would work as quickly as possible, while taking care to ensure identifications were accurate.
With more rain in the area overnight, Superintendent Anderson said his main concerns were around the safety of search crews.
"The likelihood of someone being alive is unlikely according to the experts, but you can never rule that out," he said.
Six people officially remain missing.
Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said an official review into the incident would take place.
"It is important that we have a clear and accurate understanding of the facts and events leading up to the landslide, so that we can ensure that the future safety of the community is appropriately safeguarded," Mr Drysdale said.
"As Council, on behalf of the families and the whole community, we need to understand the facts and ensure that in the lead-up to this tragedy, everything was done that was appropriate in the circumstances."
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand was "full of grief", describing what happened at Mount Maunganui as "an absolute tragedy."
He spent the morning with families of some of those missing who were "waiting for their loved ones to be accounted for and are missing."
"They are grieving incredibly hard, and I know that New Zealand grieves with them," Mr Luxon said on Friday.
He said that road access, flooding and further landslides remained problems in the region.
Landslides elsewhere in the region killed at least two people.
ABC/Radio New Zealand
