New Zealand’s cyclone death toll at 11, thousands still missing

The death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand climbed to 11 on Sunday as thousands of people remained missing a week after the storm struck the country’s North Island.
The cyclone hit the island’s northernmost region on Feb. 12 and tracked down the east coast, inflicting widespread devastation. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has called Gabrielle New Zealand’s biggest natural disaster this century.
On Sunday, police said two more people had died in hard-hit Hawke’s Bay in circumstances related to the cyclone.
More fatalities are possible, Hipkins told reporters, saying 3,216 people had been determined to be OK, while police were trying to ascertain the status of more than 3,000 others.
Lives had been “turned upside down” by the disaster and recovery was a “steep mountain ahead”, he said, pointing to disrupted telecommunications, shortages of fresh water and damaged roads still restricting access to some areas.