Cyclone Gabrielle has passed but the devastation it has caused are here to stay, and the number of victims is rising. So far nine people, including a 2-year-old child, have lost their lives in New Zealand.
Hundreds of communities remain cut off on the North Island. They face interruptions in electricity and communications - which makes it even more difficult to track down missing persons and rescue people.
Police go door to door in efforts to track down people who haven't contacted their family for days, as the leader of Andrew Coster police:
[["We have had roughly 4,500 people reported uncontactable. And look, there is always the possibility that we will find more people who have suffered in this situation.”]]
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins spoke of “the worst natural disaster” in recent decades in New Zealand and warned that the casualty toll is likely to increase,
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