The death toll has risen to nine after the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand. There are serious concerns about ten people missing, police and civil protection announced today at a press conference in the capital Wellington.
The priority is to find these people and provide food and water to isolated communities. Helicopters are also used for this. There have been reports of looting, but these are isolated cases, he said.
APA/AFP
Heavy damage on North Island
The tropical storm has caused severe damage across much of the North Island since the start of the week, with strong winds and heavy rain. The Hawke’s Bay region was particularly hard hit. Many houses, roads and bridges were destroyed, and power and communication lines were damaged.
Sometimes, the water was so high in some areas that only the roofs of the houses came out of the water. When the water left, huge amounts of mud remained on many buildings. The government had already declared a national emergency on Tuesday – for just the third time in the history of the Pacific state, which has about five million people.