1 of 2 Man floats on a mattress amid flooding from Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand — Photo: Lie Tu’imoala / via Portal Man floats on a mattress amid flooding from Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand — Photo: Lie Tu ‘imoala / via Portal
At least 11 people were killed in New Zealand after Cyclone Gabrielle struck a week ago, officials said on Sunday.
Among the dead is a 2yearold girl who was swept away by the water.
The storm left a trail of devastation in North Island, one of the country’s two main islands.
According to the government, more than 6,000 people are missing.
Almost 10,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and several towns are left without electricity, drinking water and communications. The government reported that 62,000 homes across the country remain without power.
According to local administrations, there are dozens of closed roads and isolated communities. Supply chains are disrupted and many crops have been destroyed.
2 of 2 people on the roof of a house awaiting rescue in New Zealand after Cyclone Gabrielle hit — Photo: New Zealand Air Force / via AP Photo People on the roof of a house awaiting rescue in New Zealand after the Cyclone Gabrielle passed through — Photo: New Zealand Air Force / via AP Photo
The cyclone made landfall in the island’s northernmost region on February 12, spreading along the east coast and wreaking havoc.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins called Gabrielle “New Zealand’s greatest natural disaster of this century”. He took office less than a month after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern resigned.