Wellington homes evacuated after landslide

A LANDSLIDE, apparently caused by a burst water main, has forced the evacuation of around 90 people in the New Zealand capital.

Two homes are seen damaged by a landslide in Wellington, NZ.

AROUND 90 people have been evacuated from a Wellington suburb after a landslide left one house teetering over the edge.

New Zealand emergency services were called to the slip on the downhill side of Priscilla Crescent, in the suburb of Mornington about 4.45am on Saturday.

About 30 houses were evacuated and emergency services were also evacuating a rest home at the bottom of the hill, Inspector Mike Coleman said.

No injuries had been reported.

A burst water main is believed to be responsible, Insp Coleman said.

Civil Defence is involved and some of the evacuees have gone to a hall in nearby Newtown.

About 10 houses were at risk of falling down the hill, with "one would be described as teetering on the edge", Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean told AAP.

"The slip is still moving. Trees are going down every half hour. It's a pretty dynamic situation."

The slip was about 40 metres wide at its widest point. The houses faced a drop of about 20 to 30m into the slip, he said.

The rest home was not directly affected but the slip could cut off its access if it came down further.

About 30 residents had been moved to other rest homes around the city, he said.

It was the biggest slip in Wellington in living memory, according to those at the scene, Mr MacLean said.

Engineers were inspecting as best they could to determine whether the burst water main had caused the slip, or the slip caused it to burst.

"It's incredibly unstable. No one is going near the slip for quite a while."

Rhia Williams, a tenant at one of the houses thought to be in danger, told Radio New Zealand she heard rushing water on Friday night.

She was kicking herself that she didn't do anything about it, she told the broadcaster.