In New Zealand, Hurricane Gabriel killed four

The army evacuated about 300 people who had taken refuge on rooftops New Zealand after Hurricane GabrielAs a result, four people were killed and 10,500 displaced, the authorities announced on Wednesday (February 15th).

Police said the body of a fourth victim, believed to have been “trapped by rising waters,” was found in the rural village of Ixdal on the country’s east coast.

Three other people were previously found dead in hurricane-affected areas: one where a firefighter was reported missing when a house collapsed during inclement weather in West Auckland, and two more in the Hawke’s Bay area of ​​the North Island, according to emergency services. Administration Secretary Kieran McNulty.

The New Zealand Army deployed three NH90 helicopters to the hard-hit Hawke’s Bay area. They have rescued workers, families, or pets perched on damp surfaces to escape rising waters.

Kieran McCanulty praised the “tremendous” work of rescue workers and the military who evacuated “nearly 300 people” from rooftops in the hard-to-reach Hawke’s Bay area. A group of 60 people were rescued from a large flooded building.

Although the worst is over, authorities warned on Wednesday that all the dangers are far from over. Strong winds and torrential rains affected the North Island, where more than three-quarters of the country’s five million people live, overnight from Monday to Tuesday, causing floods and landslides.

“the way is long”

Authorities have begun measuring the extent of the damage in isolated towns where floodwaters washed away roads and cut communications. The Minister of Emergency Management said some 10,500 people have been displaced. And 140,000 people are still without electricity, although electricity is gradually being restored.

Prime Minister Chris Hepkins called Gabriel “the most important weather event in New Zealand this century”, and a week-long national emergency was declared.

“This is a huge disaster,” said Kieran McNulty, stressing that it will take “many weeks” for the affected areas to recover. “The road is long,” he concluded.

With Agence France-Presse