Sharjah24 - Reuters: On Saturday, while cleanup efforts on the devastated North Island went on and officials resumed their search for the missing, the Cyclone Gabrielle death toll in New Zealand reached nine.
The cyclone hit the uppermost region of the North Island on Sunday and tracked down the east coast, causing widespread devastation.
Police on Saturday said they were investigating a possible cyclone-related death of a person in the hard-hit Hawke's Bay region, taking the death toll to nine.
Getting aid to impacted communities was also a priority, with the Navy saying a ship with 26 tonnes of supplies was on its way to Napier, in Hawke's Bay.
The Air Force said helicopters loaded with food and water were bound for the stranded village of Tutira, about 105 kilometres (65 miles) further north.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the response to the crisis was "still underway and there are people across the North Island working around the clock".
Hipkins has called Gabrielle the biggest natural disaster to hit New Zealand this century, and warned that the death toll was likely to rise as crews made contact with hundreds of cut-off communities.
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