WELLINGTON, Feb 17 (Portal) – The death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle rose to seven on Friday and New Zealanders have been told the number is likely to rise as emergency services have yet to contact hundreds of communities.
“We have to adjust to the fact that there will likely be more deaths across the country. And we won’t know the true extent of that for a while,” said New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.
The cyclone, which struck New Zealand in the uppermost region of the North Island on Sunday before sweeping down the country’s east coast, cut off entire towns, washed away farms, bridges and livestock, and inundated homes and left people stranded on rooftops.
On Thursday, more than 3,000 people were registered with the police because they have not had contact with friends or family since the cyclone struck. Police said they believe the majority of those on the list have no communications networks available.
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“This is undoubtedly the greatest natural disaster we’ve likely seen in this century,” Hipkins said. “The extent of the damage is significant because it covers such a large geographical area.”
Two makeshift morgues have been set up in the Hawke’s Bay region, one of the hardest-hit areas, which is mostly rural but also includes the cities of Napier, Hastings and Wairoa.
Communications and access to a number of areas remain difficult and surveillance flights are being conducted to survey the damage and identify those who may be isolated.
Convoys of trucks carrying essential supplies such as food, water, medicine and fuel make their way to remote areas, and the Defense Forces use ships to transport needed supplies to areas on the east coast.
Helicopters and boats were still out in Hawke’s Bay screening people in remote communities while search and rescue teams continued to operate.
The weather has started to improve and sunshine is now forecast for much of the North Island on Friday.
Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Edited by Sandra Maler and Jamie Freed
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