MOSCOW: The death toll from the flooding and landslides in New Zealand caused by Cyclone Gabrielle has gone up to 11, reported Sputnik, quoting the New Zealand Police.
“Police are investigating a death in Crownthorpe, Hastings, reported last night (Feb 18). The person is believed to have died in circumstances related to Cyclone Gabrielle,” the police said in a Sunday statement.
In another release issued earlier in the day, the New Zealand police said that another Gabrielle-related death had been confirmed at a private home at Onekawa, Napier.
Earlier reports said that at least nine people had died due to flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand. Thus the total death toll now stands at 11.
According to the New Zealand police, as of Saturday, there have been 5,608 reports of uncontactable people registered amid the flooding and landslides.
The government of New Zealand has declared a state of emergency in order to provide assistance to those affected across six regions, one of them being New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland.
On Wednesday night, the Auckland area and a large part of North Island were hit by a violent 6.1 magnitude earthquake. -BERNAMA
