The death toll in New Zealand raised to 9 as cyclone Gabrielle hit the east coast of the North Island of the said country.
Authorities continue the search and operation as there are still reported missing people.
The said incident washed out farms, bridges, and livestock, homes, and many people were stranded.
According to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, this cyclone Gabrielle was so far the biggest and most destructive natural disaster that hit the country this century.
He also warned that the death toll might even rise as there were hundreds of cut-off communities.
As of Friday night, 5,000 people are unable to be contacted since the cyclone hit because according to police reports around 62,000 properties are still suffering from power interruption.
“We have our work cut out for us, we’re focused on securing a reliable water supply, reaching isolated people, and re-establishing phone and internet connections,” said the area’s Civil Defense group controller, Ben Green.
Further, there are around 2,000 people who remain in evacuation centers in Hawke’s Bay.
