Three killed by Hurricane Gabriel in New Zealand

New Zealand authorities said Wednesday that three people have died as a result of Hurricane Gabriel, which hit the country earlier this week. A body has been found as one firefighter was reported missing when a house collapsed during inclement weather in West Auckland, and two others in the Hawke’s Bay area of ​​the North Island, said Emergency Management Minister Kieran McNulty.

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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 overnight from Monday to Tuesday, where more than three-quarters of the country’s 5 million people live, 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. Emergency Management Minister Kieran McNulty said about 10,500 people were homeless. There are 140,000 people 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,” Kieran McNulty said, stressing that it would take “many weeks” for the affected areas to recover. He concluded by saying, “The road is long.”