Thousands more homeless: Four dead by cyclone "Gabrielle" in New Zealand

Cyclone Gabrielle causes massive flooding and landslides.

Thousands more homeless: Four dead by cyclone "Gabrielle" in New Zealand

Cyclone Gabrielle causes massive flooding and landslides. Four people died and thousands more had to be taken care of in emergency shelters. Experts speak of a "massive, unprecedented weather event".

Thousands of people in New Zealand were left homeless in the wake of tropical cyclone Gabrielle. The Hawke's Bay region of the North Island was hardest hit. Military trucks brought around 9,000 people to safety there, Radio New Zealand reported. They are initially to be accommodated in a sports center in the city of Hastings. At least four people were killed in the storm, police said, including a child and a firefighter who was buried in a landslide.

In some places the water masses were so high that only the roofs of houses could be seen. The emergency services were deployed with numerous helicopters to rescue people who had fled to the roofs. According to the Minister for Emergency Management, Kieran McAnulty, more than 140,000 people were still without power. He spoke of a "massive, unprecedented weather event". Meanwhile, Britain's Princess Anne visited the Center for Crisis Management in the capital, Wellington. "I admire the courage of the people of New Zealand at this worrying and difficult time," she said afterwards.

New Zealand is part of the Commonwealth. "My thoughts are with all New Zealanders whose homes or livelihoods were affected by Cyclone Gabrielle." The tropical storm had moved across the Pacific state with gale force winds and heavy rain since Monday. On Tuesday, the government declared a national emergency - for only the third time in the country's history.

The storm wreaked havoc on the North Island in particular. Bridges were washed away, roads were impassable. Some places were cut off from the outside world. In several places, schools are to remain closed until the end of the week. Subsequently, "Gabrielle" moved to the southern part of the North Island. The MetService weather service warned of heavy rain there.