In this image released by the New Zealand Defense Force on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, people stand on a rooftop of a home waiting to be winched to safety by helicopter in the Esk Valley, near Napier, New Zealand. The New Zealand government declared a national state of emergency Tuesday after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the country’s north in what officials described as the nation’s most severe weather event in years. (New Zealand Defense Force via AP)
The death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle has reached nine in New Zealand, officials said on Saturday.
Roger Ball, Acting Director of Emergency Management of the National Emergency Management Agency, told a media briefing that nine people had lost their lives and emergency services feared the death toll was expected to rise.
Deputy Police Commissioner Glenn Dunbier confirmed that the official death toll currently sits at nine, including seven people in the Eastern District and two people in Auckland. He said there was a small number of missing people whom police had heightened concerns.
Additional police staff from all around the country were dispatched to the affected area to assist local police, Xinhua news agency reported.
Communications in areas most affected by Cyclone Gabrielle are still disrupted and slowly resuming. The New Zealand Police are urging people who have been affected by the cyclone to register that they are safe online.
As of 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, there have been 5,608 reports of uncontactable people registered and 1,196 reports from people registering they are safe.
New Zealand declared a national state of emergency on Tuesday, the third time in the country’s history, as Cyclone Gabrielle lashed New Zealand’s North Island.
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The above article has been published from a wire source with minimal modifications to the headline and text.
