Auckland floods: Body found in caves where boy went missing

A body has been found in the New Zealand caves where a teenage boy went missing during a school trip yesterday.

He was among a group of 17 who went to the Abbey Caves despite widespread flooding in the Auckland region.

The group was initially trapped but 14 students and two teachers made it out safely. The boy, aged between 15 and 16, was unaccounted for.

New Zealand police said the body was recovered late on Tuesday evening, but has not been formally identified.

Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, has declared a state of emergency after heavy rainfall stranded cars, uprooted trees and disrupted public transport.

But most roads that were earlier closed reopened on Wednesday and public transport was operating.

The Abbey Caves, a series of three underground caves on the upper North Island, features limestone outcrops and sink holes. The cave system is prone to flash flooding.

“We acknowledge this event has been very distressing for the school and wider community, and that there are a number of questions the public will have,” Police Superintendent Tony Hill said in a statement on Wednesday.

“At the moment, police’s focus is on supporting those affected,” he said.

The incident has raised questions about why the school trip went ahead even afterweather forecasts warned of heavy rains.

The group is from Whangārei Boys’ High School. In a post to the school’s Facebook page on Wednesday, principal Karen Gilbert-Smith wrote: “It is really important for me to let you know how devastated we are that one of our whānau [family] have lost a much loved, and treasured, son and brother.”

“The impact of this tragedy is being felt widely amongst our school staff, students and community.”

The Auckland region in New Zealand has been hit by several extreme weather events thus far this year.

From January to April, it received 90% of its average total annual rainfall, with some areas receiving up to 35mm (1.3in) of rain in just one hour.

In February, Cyclone Gabrielle ravaged New Zealand, leaving 11 people dead and a trail of devastation that Finance Minister Grant Robertson likened to the damage wrought by the Christchurch earthquake from 12 years ago.