Cyclone Gabrielle: temporary morgues set up in New Zealand as rescues continue

Authorities in New Zealand have set up two temporary morgues, as the death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle, the country’s most damaging storm in decades, climbs to seven.

A second volunteer firefighter, Craig Stevens, died in hospital after being caught in a landslide near Auckland earlier in the week. A body was also found near Napier on Friday morning. Officials have warned that the toll is likely to rise further.

Severe storms have cut off entire towns, washed away farms, bridges and livestock, and inundated homes, stranding people on rooftops. Ten thousand people have been displaced and by Thursday afternoon, 3,455 people had been registered by police as “uncontactable”, though some were likely to be multiple reports for the same person, authorities said.

Temporary morgues have been set up in Napier and Hastings as part of “standard practice”, a police spokesperson told news outlet Stuff.

“The facilities have been established as a precaution to ensure that any fatalities can be managed with care and respect, and in accordance with coronial processes. They are held there before being taken to a mortuary,” police said.

Communication and access to a number of areas remained difficult, while surveillance flights were being undertaken to survey the damage and identify those who may be isolated. Convoys of trucks carrying essential items such as food, water, medicine and fuel were making their way into remote areas and the defence force is using ships to transport needed items into areas of the east coast.

On Thursday, prime minister, Chris Hipkins, warned that there were some people for whom the police held “grave concerns”, but added, “We believe the majority of those considered uncontactable simply cannot make contact with loved ones, so police are prioritising those who are in isolated areas.”

Urban search and rescue team leader Ken Cooper said one man had walked 70km from Putorino to Napier to give rescue workers help with their missions.

“That’s a day-and-a-half walk,” he told Radio NZ. “He walked to give us a list of people still trapped up in the east coast.”

In Hawke’s Bay helicopters and boats were being used to check on people in isolated communities, while search and rescue teams continued to operate.

Rescue efforts were likely to be boosted by news from MetService that it no longer had any weather warnings in place in New Zealand and sunshine was forecast for most of the North Island.

Reuters contributed to this report