Foreign News
Thousands yet to be contacted after New Zealand storm
New Zealand’s prime minister says he expects there to be more deaths from a violent storm which killed eight people and cut off hundreds of communities.
More than 4,500 people have yet to be contacted after Cyclone Gabrielle hit on Monday, causing significant flooding and landslides across the North Island.Many cities and towns are also without power or clean drinking water.
A national state of emergency has been declared, only the third in New Zealand’s history.
“This is undoubtedly the biggest natural disaster that we’ve seen probably this century,” Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said.”The storm damaged hundreds of mobile phone masts, and many of the thousands of uncontactable people are likely to be found alive and well. But he warned that people need to “brace themselves” for more fatalities.
Some 10,000 people are also estimated to be displaced.