11 Killed in Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand; Thousands Still Missing

Wellington: The death toll due to Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand climbed to 11 today, February 19, as thousands of people remained missing a week after the storm struck the country’s North Island.

The cyclone hit the North Island’s uppermost region on the 12th of February inflicting widespread devastation. Rescue and recovery efforts are continuing, with teams from Auckland Council carrying out rapid building assessments on damaged homes in the coastal areas of Muriwai and Piha.

Emergency authorities and military dropped critical supplies via helicopter to people stranded in different locations.

Prime Minister Hipkins has said that the crisis response is still underway while people across the North Island are working around the clock. He said it is estimated to affect at least a third of the country’s five million population.

The rain has ceased in most parts, but many remote towns and areas remain cut off by high floodwaters and a lack of power. The storm’s damage has been most extensive in coastal communities on the far north and east coast of the North Island.

Areas like Hawke’s Bay, Coromandel and Northland were among the worst hit. Meanwhile, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake was widely felt across the country late yesterday. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the quake, which struck off the coast of the North Island near the capital Wellington.