New Zealand: Five dead in aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle; over 10,000 people displaced

The death toll in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand has climbed to five and there are fears that the number of deaths could climb further. The police said on Thursday (February 16) that a person is believed to have died after being caught in flood water in the Gisborne region. Four other deaths have already been confirmed and the police expressed grave concerns about missing people.

A report by the news agency AFP on Thursday said that more heavy rain was forecast for the badly-hit eastern areas of New Zealand- where the disaster has severed roads, collapsed houses andcut power.Government officials estimate 10,500 people have so far been displaced with 9,000 made homeless in eastern regions alone.

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New Zealand is currently under a state of national emergency after Cyclone Gabrielle bore down on its northern coast last Sunday (February 12). The cyclone has faded into the Pacific but the MetService warned of further downpours on Thursday of up to 40 millimetres per hour in the eastern regions that are already flooded, the report said.

Naval vessels, helicopters deployed for rescue ops

Two large naval vessels and a C-130 Hercules transport plane have been deployed to deliver thousands of litres of water along with personnel and several mobile water treatment plants to hard-hit areas. On the other hand, NH90 helicopters have brought in supplies and rescued hundreds of people stranded on their rooftops.

The east-coast city of Napier was cut-off again on Thursday after experts detected damage to the last useable bridge linking its residents with the rest of New Zealand. Isolated residents had been told not to leave their houses unless "absolutely essential" and to restrict water use.

This is a traumatic event: New Zealand PM

On Thursday, New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins warned citizens of a long, gruelling recovery ahead. "This is a traumatic event. It's a very big challenge to restore infrastructure as fast as we can, but we have to acknowledge that we are in for a bumpy ride," Hipkins said, AFP reported. He added, "There are no overnight fixes. We could have the bulldozers working 24/7 and it would still take time to re-establish road links."

The Prime Minister also said on Thursday that his government was accepting offers of international assistance after such offers from the United States and other countries were initially set aside.

(With inputs from agencies)

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