Wellington: At least four people, including firefighters, have died after severe weather hit New Zealand, police said Wednesday.
Cyclone Gabriel has caused widespread evacuations, power outages and property damage across large areas of Germany’s North Island, German news agency dpa reported.
On Wednesday, in Muriwai, near Auckland, firefighters recovered bodies beneath a landslide caused by the cyclone. It is believed to belong to a volunteer firefighter who has been missing since a slip collapsed his home Monday night.
Three people were also killed in the hard-hit area of Hawke’s Bay. The body of a young man believed to have been caught in a flood on Tuesday was recovered on Wednesday, and a woman died Tuesday night when a bank collapsed on her home. He was found dead on a beach in Napier late Tuesday.
Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty warned that the death toll could rise.
“I want to be clear, this is not a prediction, it is a concern that I have always had. We are talking about an unprecedented large-scale weather event,” McAnulty said.
Many towns are still completely isolated due to severe flooding and slippage.
McAnulty said the storm left about 10,500 people homeless and 144,000 without power.
The New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) rescued hundreds of people in Hawke’s Bay alone, hoisting people from the roofs of houses.
New Zealand Police said there were 1,442 reports of unreachable people, mostly from the eastern regions of the North Island.
“While many reports are expected to be the result of downed communication lines, police have been able to confirm several people are missing in the Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti areas and are gravely concerned about them. I have.”-Bernama