Thousands missing a week after Cyclone Gabrielle hits New Zealand

‘Steep mountain forward,’ prime minister says as 11 deaths confirmed thus far after storm sweeps north and east of nation.

Buildings broken by Cyclone Gabrielle within the Esk Valley close to Napier, New Zealand [File: AFP]

Not less than 11 individuals have died and hundreds are lacking in New Zealand after Cyclone Gabrielle hit the North Island final week.

The cyclone hit the northern a part of the island on February 12 and tracked down the east coast, inflicting widespread devastation.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has known as Gabrielle New Zealand’s greatest pure catastrophe this century.

On Sunday, police reported two extra cyclone-related deaths in hard-hit Hawke’s Bay.

Extra fatalities are potential, Hipkins instructed reporters within the capital, Wellington as a result of greater than 6,400 persons are lacking.

Lives had been “turned the wrong way up” and restoration was a “steep mountain forward”, he stated, pointing to disrupted telecommunications, shortages of freshwater and broken roads nonetheless proscribing entry to some areas.

Provide chains have been disrupted, inflicting issues shifting items; crops had been destroyed; and 28,000 properties are nonetheless with out energy, Hipkins stated.

Final week, he warned that restoration would take time with energy not anticipated to be restored to some areas for weeks and the cleanup prone to take for much longer than that.

After initially setting apart presents of assist from the USA and different international locations, Hipkins stated New Zealand is now accepting them.

New Zealand is underneath a nationwide state of emergency after Cyclone Gabrielle bore down on its northern coast [AFP]

On Tuesday, New Zealand declared a nationwide state of emergency for less than the third time in its historical past.

A workforce from Fiji is to depart for New Zealand within the coming days to help with its restoration, one in every of 12 presents of worldwide assist acquired thus far, Hipkins stated. Twenty-seven emergency employees from Australia are aiding with aid efforts.

Groups from the Auckland Council carried out fast constructing assessments on broken properties on Sunday within the coastal areas of Muriwai and Piha, about 60km (40 miles) west of the nation’s largest metropolis, Auckland.

Emergency authorities and the navy have been dropping vital provides from helicopters to communities stranded for the reason that cyclone, which washed away farms, bridges and livestock and inundated properties.

Police have despatched an additional 100 officers to Hawke’s Bay and close by Tairawhiti, together with to remoted areas, after experiences of looting.