Emergency services have worked through a second straight night trying to find those trapped underneath a landslide, which devastated a campsite on New Zealand's North Island.
Authorities confirmed on Friday that six people were missing, with work also underway to confirm the whereabouts of another three people who did not check out of the campground.
A significant contingent of specialist rescue teams and emergency services remained at the Mount Maunganui site on Friday night.
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 morning about 9:30am, local time.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand assistant national commander David Guard said on Friday it was still being treated as a rescue event.
Mr Guard would not confirm if any bodies had been removed from the site.
"We are in the middle of a rescue operation and it would be insensitive on families to talk about that openly in the public arena," he said.
He said that every effort would be made to find those affected.
Police District Commander Tim Anderson said police would make a call "day-by-day" as to when the operation would move to a recovery mission.
There had not been any signs of life beneath the rubble "as of today", Mr Anderson said, "but we live in hope".
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
