For a recap of 1News' live updates on the clean-up effort after Cyclone Gabrielle as it happened, scroll down.
What you need to know
- The death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle is expected to rise. Authorities have confirmed that eight people have been killed as a result of the storm.
- Over 10,000 people have been made homeless by the cyclone, officials say.
- Many communities remain cut off with no power and no internet or cell service.
- Tens of thousands of people remain without electricity across the North Island.
Eighth death confirmed
Police have this evening confirmed the death of another person following the cyclone.
The figure includes two people confirmed dead today in Waiohiki and Puketapu, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said.
"This has been an utterly devastating event for these communities and our hearts go out to all those who have been affected."
Issac Luke left 'broken' after father's death
Former NRL champion and Kiwis star Issac Luke has been left "broken" after his father's death reportedly caused by a slip as Cyclone Gabrielle swept through the North Island earlier this week.
Luke, who played 43 Tests for the Kiwis and won an NRL title with the Rabbitohs in 2014, posted on social media last night his pain at the news, calling his father, George Luke, "my first hero". "See you soon dad. I love you," he said.
10.07pm: That concludes 1News' live updates on the clean-up effort following Cyclone Gabrielle. For a recap of today's events as it happened, scroll down.
9.57pm: A beach clean-up is due to start tomorrow at Waikanae and Midway beaches, Tairāwhiti Civil Defence says.
"Forestry companies Aratu and Ernslaw are doing this work while there’s a window of opportunity to start while machinery is available."
8.58pm: H2 Hawke's Bay Expressway is now open from Bayview through to Pakipaki, opening up a key freight link to Napier, Hawke's Bay Civil Defence said this evening. Temporary speed restrictions remain in place for some sections, however.
While the road has reopened, motorists have been asked to "please be considerate and delay your travel if you can - we need to keep the road clear for critical lifelines and infrastructure to support our region".
8.33pm: Australian telecommunications company Telstra says it will be providing free calls to New Zealand amid the floods.
All calls to New Zealand from Telstra home phones and mobiles will be free from 12.01am AEDT (2.01am NZT) tomorrow to 11.59pm AEDT on March 3 ( 1.59am on March 4 NZT).
The free calls are from Australia only, and do not include calls while roaming overseas.
8.24pm: Help from Australia is on its way to New Zealand today and tomorrow. Twenty-five specialist Queensland and New South Wales FRS firefighters will be carrying out rapid damage assessments alongside Fire and Emergency New Zealand personnel.
8.01pm: As relief efforts ramp up to help those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, here's a comprehensive list on how you can provide, or receive, help.
As relief efforts ramp up to help those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, here is some advice on how best you can contribute. (Source: Seven Sharp)
7.41pm: A number of Auckland regional parks are closed for safety reasons, Auckland Emergency Management says.
7.31pm: State Highway 5 in Esk Valley, Hawke's Bay, has been devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle.
The area is ground zero, with scenes of destruction showing the unforgiving force of the cyclone.
Christopher and Luciana Barber told 1News about how their family tried to escape.
"We had a big rush of water come in, and it just started rising really quickly. That's when things got scary, and we did our last 111 calls. But we knew no one was coming to save us," Christopher said.
They have two small children - when the floods hit, they had one last chance to survive.
"I found a little wooden train track and smashed a hole through the ceiling. Then she passed up the children and a seven-month-old puppy...we sat in that roof space for a few hours."
Cyclone Gabrielle has left homes in the area in tatters. (Source: 1News)
7.07pm: Napier is now on the verge of a humanitarian crisis, with no power, patchy cellphone coverage and crowds of people desperate for petrol and gas.
Parts of the city remain underwater, with most of Hawke's Bay hit hard by the cyclone.
Fuel has proven to be a big problem in the region, with long lines at the pump making things difficult for locals.
Many are still without power, cellphone coverage is patchy, while there’s been tension at the petrol pumps. (Source: 1News)
7.02pm: Here's some photographs of the flooding in the Napier suburb of Awatoto.
6.50pm: "One of the first lessons you learn in journalism school is that people care more about things happening near them. The closer the better: we care more about a school fete in Grey Lynn than one in Peru. Academically, as a news value, it’s called proximity," writes 1News political reporter Felix Desmarais.
"This week has been a week of proximity. Climate change has come to us.
"Many of us likely thought catastrophic climate change-related floods would come to Bangladesh or the Netherlands. Not to Hawke’s Bay."
The flooding remains so high in places just the very top of roofs can be seen. (Source: 1News)
6.35pm: Unsion and Transpower have this evening successfully bypassed the Redclyffe substation, which supplies much of Napier and some of Hastings.substation, Hawke's Bay Civil Defence says.
"This will enable power to be supplied to parts of Napier City and suburbs. They have begun progressively restoring power to parts of Napier as well as remaining parts of Hastings without power."
6.19pm: Tairāwhiti Civil Defence says while work is ongoing to resolve the issues at the Waipaoa Water Treatment Plant, "it's going to take longer than anticipated".
"City residents - please restrict water use as much as possible. You can only use water for drinking, short showers and food preparation."
An update on the situation will be provided tomorrow.
6.15pm: All schools in Napier, barring St Joseph’s Māori Girls’ College, will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, Hawke's Bay Civil Defence says.
All schools in Wairoa will be closed Monday and Tuesday, while schools in Clive and Haumoana will be closed on Monday.
The majority of schools in the Hastings and Central Hawke's Bay districts will begin opening on Monday.
Some individual schools which were seriously impacted by the flooding may take longer to reopen.
6.09pm: Hipkins said a "very big thank you" to everyone involved in the response and clean-up effort, from first responders and truck drivers to supermarket staff and road and utility crews.
"You're making a helluva difference and an incredibly difficult set of circumstances."
6.05pm: Responding to this cyclone and getting our communities back on their feet is going to be a big job and it is going to take a long time," Hipkins said.
"We are making progress but I can't overstate the scale of the task that is ahead of us. We're going as far and as fast as humanly possible. We are throwing everything at it but there is a lot to do."
6.01pm: Water supplies "are still under pressure in many areas", he said.
Urgent work is being carried out get safe water back to households in Gisborne "as soon as possible, as well as other areas".
5.59pm: Starlink units have been deployed to places with the most need, with 21 sent to Hawke's Bay. Nearly all of the supermarkets in the affected regions are up and running, he said.
5.56pm: Getting cell phone towers up and running are "also a high priority", Hipkins said.
Cell tower coverage has returned for around 70% of Northland, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay for calls and text messaging as of 4pm today.
It's hoped 75% of cell tower coverage will be restored by tomorrow evening. Data is expected to take longer to restore.
5.52pm: Hipkins reiterated that life on the ground is "incredibly tough" in the wake of the cyclone and "is going to be for some time to come".
He said "meaningful progress is being made across a number of areas", however.
Around 40,000 further households have been reconnected to power since yesterday. Around 62,000 homes remain without power.
Around 90% of Hastings township is connected to electricity, up from 60% yesterday. Havelock North is at around 95%, up from about 60% yesterday.
Work is also underway to reconnect parts of Napier as soon as possible.
5.44pm: He says the Government is continuing to use every resource available to search for people missing after the storms. A specialist team of first responders from Australia also arrived in the country this afternoon after responding to a request for help by New Zealand. "A big thank you to our Aussie friends for helping," Hipkins said.
5.42pm: "To see today just how hard people and property have been affected really did hammer home that we're going to be dealing with the effects of this cyclone for quite some time," Hipkins said.
5.40pm: "There is still a huge way to go in this response, and there are still small communities who are cut off and isolated," Hipkins said.
He says he saw today "just how much Cyclone Gabrielle is going to affect the whole country".
"We do need to prepare ourselves for the fact [the cyclone] is going to disrupt some parts of our food supply."
5.35pm: Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today visited the Hawke's Bay to witness "first-hand the devastation in the region".
He said while food, fuel and other supplies are making their way in by land, air and sea, there is no power in Napier and connectivity remains "patchy".
"To put it really simply, it's very rough up there," he told reporters.
5.22pm: A stop/go will be in place through Dome Valley today and Sunday from 8pm until 5am, Waka Kotahi says. Traffic will be reduced to one lane while the transport agency completes further works.
5.19pm: The huge river flows in the North Island this week have led to the displacement of large amounts of sediment into the sea and "staining offshore waters", NIWA says.
East Cape's murky waterways can be seen from space.
The image on the left is from February 9, before the cyclone struck. The image on the right image is from February 17, after the cyclone.
5.10pm: Fire and Emergency New Zealand has this afternoon paid tribute to "everybody else who has been affected by the events of this week across the motu" following the death of a firefighter in a landslide in Auckland's Muriwai.
4.54pm: People have been advised against swimming, fishing or gathering shellfish in the Tairua River and Pāuanui Harbour due to the possibility of bacterial contamination until Tuesday, February 21, the Thames-Coromandel District Council says.
The affected areas include the Pāuanui Waterways to Royal Billy Point Reserve and the full length of the beach down to South End Reserve.
4.46pm: Former NRL champion and Kiwis star Issac Luke has been left "broken" after his father's death reportedly caused by a slip as Cyclone Gabrielle swept through the North Island earlier this week.
Luke, who played 43 Tests for the Kiwis and won an NRL title with the Rabbitohs in 2014, posted on social media last night his pain at the news, calling his father, George Luke, "my first hero".
"See you soon dad. I love you," he said.
4.36pm: Transpower says it expects to complete the bypass of its flooded Redclyffe substation near Taradale this evening if all goes well.
"Redclyffe substation suffered extensive damage during Cyclone Gabrielle and Transpower has been working with Unison Networks to create a bypass for the 220KV high voltage line to enable it to connect to the Whakatu substation north-east of Hastings," Transpower said on its website.
"Once the bypass is complete, local lines company Unison Networks will begin progressively restoring power to some but not all homes and businesses in Hawke’s Bay, including urban parts of Napier and some remaining areas of Hastings such as Clive, Te Awanga and Whakatu. This work is expected to take place from Saturday."
4.24pm: A person has died following intense flooding in Puketapu, near Napier.
The person is believed to have died after being caught in flood water.
The death toll related to the flooding now stands at eight.
4.20pm: A Hawke's Bay woman has had her life turned upside down after Cyclone Gabrielle devastated the region this week - but despite the destruction, she's still smiling, happy to be alive.
Sally Prins has lived on Dartmoor Rd for over 50 years but during the flooding her house was submerged, forcing her family to escape via the rooftop.
As the flooding started to rise, Prins had just seconds to get out of her house before the water reached the roof.
Unable to see, Prins had to feel her way around the door frames and take breaths where she could.
"I was blowing bubbles by the end," she said. Read the full story here.
4.14pm: The head of Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters Department is urging beachgoers, along with those who walk their dogs near the water, to avoid some beaches and all streams and rivers, after Cyclone Gabrielle increased contamination and sediment levels.
Nick Vigar told 1News that some locations had levels of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) more than 10 times the threshold set by national guidelines for recreational water quality.
“These samples confirmed that flood-related contamination had a significant effect on water quality at Auckland’s beaches, and that this effect was persisting for longer than Safeswim water quality models predicted,” he said.
4.11pm: Forestry slash has destroyed Tairāwhiti after piles of dead wood swept down from pine forests and combined with flood waters to choke the river, causing the bridge to crumble under the pressure.
Lillian Te Hau-Ward, the Civil Defence coordinator for Tokomaru Bay, says the bridge would still be intact if not for all the wood.
The damage is so severe the town is now completely isolated from the rest of the country and helicopters are still the only way to get people and supplies in or out.
"We are feeling isolated and afraid,” she said. "It’s going to take years to recover."
3.53pm: Here's some photographs of the widespread damage in Eskdale, courtesy of Alyse Hedley.
The Eskdale War Memorial Church can be seen sloping following the floods.
A car stuck in the ground in Eskdale.
Click here for the full gallery.
3.45pm: Aucklanders have been asked to stay away from areas on the west coast which were heavily affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Auckland Transport said access to Bethells Beach, Muriwai, Piha, Karekare and parts of the Waitākere Ranges are for residents and emergency services only.
"Vulnerable roads in these areas are already under stress & more traffic will increase safety risks."
3.40pm: Some Kāinga Ora tenants are continuing to sleep in flood-damaged properties as the public housing provider struggles to meet the sheer demand for homes.
Recent flooding has resulted in hundreds of Kāinga Ora properties being damaged in the Auckland region and the number of displaced people has soared.
3.37pm: A Hawke's Bay family has lost their 'beautiful' 2-year-old daughter Ivy following flash floods which also destroyed their home.
The parents of the young family, Jack and pregnant Ella, managed to get their other daughter Imogen to safety, but have been left devastated by their loss.
A friend of the family has started a Givealittle page to "help raise funds for for our beautiful Ella, Jack and Imogen".
"No words can say how saddened we feel about the loss of your beautiful little two-year- old Ivy who was ripped from your family in the recent cyclone in NZ," the page reads.
"Your love for you[r] kids is next level."
The page has so far raised $146,000.
3.28pm: Locals stocking up on petrol at a BP in Napier.
Motorists can also be seen lining up for petrol.
3.16pm: Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says police have had "roughly 4500 people reported uncontactable, and we've had roughly 900 report themselves as OK".
He called the figures "encouraging".
"It's clear that the scale of the devastation here is really significant and that has affected our people as well."
3.08pm: Police are asking motorists in Auckland and Northland to avoid travelling into and across the Northland region if possible.
Superintendent Tony Hill said while there are clear skies today, the roading infrastructure has been affected by the weather and may be unsafe if there are too many vehicles on the road.
"It’s really important that we prioritise traffic to vehicles needed to support recovery efforts," he said.
Motorists are asked to only travel if necessary.
2.46pm: Here's an update on the situation on the roads in Napier and Hastings as of this evening:
The SH2 Napier-Hastings Expressway is open, with a detour in place while the road remains closed between Evenden Rd and Pakowhai Rd.
Motorists have been asked to only travel if it is essential, Hawke's Bay Civil Defence says.
SH51 Napier-Hastings through Clive is closed to all, barring emergency services and critical workers. People who must travel have been asked to take the expressway.
Hawke's Bay Civil Defence says while "teams are working incredibly hard to get roads open as quickly as possible, please note there is still major damage to some areas".
2.28pm: While the police's Hawke’s Bay dog base was destroyed by Cyclone Gabrielle, they were luckily able to get all their staff and canines to safety.
2.33pm: Flooding on Vogel St in Whataupoko, Gisborne.
2.15pm - Blue skies and settled weather is expected across the country in the coming days. For the first time in a week, there are no warnings or watches in place for any parts of Aotearoa.
1.57pm - 1News' Kim Baker Wilson was reporting from the town of Clive, halfway between Napier and Hastings, earlier today.
He described the scenes of devastation that saw debris washed onto the coastline.
1News reporter Kim Baker Wilson spoke from the town of Clive, halfway between Napier and Hastings. (Source: Breakfast)
His report was filed from near the Clive Bridge - one of the last remaining roads connecting Napier to the rest of Hawke's Bay.
1.35pm - Police say "temporary facilities" have been set up at Napier's port and Hawke's Bay Hospital as a "precaution" to handle more fatalities resulting from Cyclone Gabrielle.
"As with any significant event of this nature, it is standard practice for emergency and responding services to give consideration to how best to deal with casualties or fatalities.
"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," a spokesperson told 1News.
1.15pm - Police say a man located deceased in floodwaters on his Te Karaka, Gisborne property on Tuesday was 64-year-old John Robert Dudley Coates.
"Police's thoughts and condolences are with his whānau and friends. His death is not considered suspicious and will be referred to the coroner," police said.
1.07pm - Auckland Emergency Management has issued an emergency mobile alert this afternoon to urge residents living on Domain Crescent in Murawai to evacuate.
Watch live: Auckland Emergency Management provides update
We're expecting an update from authorities in a couple minutes.
12.43pm - Two people have been arrested in Napier after shots were reportedly fired yesterday afternoon.
"Armed police staff responded to the incident as a precaution," police said.
"There were no reports of injuries.
"Police received a report of shots fired in Pirimai, Napier about 4.30pm yesterday.
"Two people have been taken into custody and charges are being considered.
"Police will be taking a hard line with anyone acting unlawfully and compounding the suffering of our hard-hit communities."
12.30pm - An urgent evacuation has been ordered for Domain Cres residents in Muriwai.
"We have been advised by Auckland Council Emergency Management that all residents still occupying houses on Domain Cres are to evacuate immediately," the Muriwai Volunteer Fire Brigade said on Facebook.
"If you know of people still there please contact them to pass on this message."
12.15pm - Fire and Emergency chief executive Kerry Gregory is speaking about the deaths of two volunteer firefighters in Auckland's Muriwai. Watch live
Gregory said the death of the two volunteer vfirefighers had been a "heavy blow" for everybody that knew them.
"This tragic incident has been a heavy blow for the two families, their friends, colleagues in the Muriwai Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Muriwai community.
"It touches all of us, not just in the Fire and Emergency NZ whānau, but emergency services internationally and all New Zealanders."
11.54am - Police have now confirmed that a person has died in Waiohika, Hawke's Bay.
It was reported earlier that a 70-year-old man's body was found in the area.
Police say formal identification is yet to take place but the person is believed to have died after being caught in flood water.
11.07am - East Coast MP Kiritapu Allan has told 1News that Gisborne residents should stop using water immediately.
On her Facebook page, she said: "OUR WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM HAS FAILED - PLEASE CEASE USING WATER IN GISBORNE CITY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE (sic)."
Allan told 1News that the navy was now being relied on for all water supplies.
Tairāwhiti Civil Defence said on Facebook: "This is a major crisis our city has no water. Don't turn your taps on. The Waipaoa back up water treatment has failed. We are not getting any water into the city's reservoirs. STOP NOW (sic)".
10.49am - Cyclone Gabrielle not only ripped people from their homes but from their animals too. Rescuers are out reuniting pets with their loved ones. Animal Evac New Zealand chair, Tony Sutorius, tells Breakfast about their heroic stories.
Animal Evac's Tony Sutorius told Breakfast that hundreds of families had been assisted in the past month. (Source: Breakfast)
He says the team have helped over 1000 families in the past month during Auckland's floods and now during the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.
The chair said the organisation helped rescue animals and also supported families who needed help with their pets after they were unable to return to their homes.
9.54am - A seventh person has been found dead in Hawke's Bay, Stuff has reported.
The 70-year-old man's body was reportedly found in the Waiohiki area. The news has not been officially confirmed by authorities.
Waiohiki is about 7km from Napier's city centre, but the bridge that links the two areas was washed out earlier this week.
The cyclone death toll also rose overnight - following confirmation that a firefighter who was left critically injured after a landslide in Auckland's Muriwai succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
Craig Stevens was rescued from the collapsed Muriwai property but sadly died of his injuries, it has been confirmed. (Source: Breakfast)
9.26am - Far North mayor Moko Tepania says parts of the region look "a bit like a warzone."
"We have some communities in Hokianga [...] who have been five nights without power - this is going on to day six," he told Breakfast.
"I went out and about across the district the past couple of days, made it to Hokianga yesterday, and it still does look like a bit of a warzone."
Moko Tepania says parts of Hokianga still "look a bit like a warzone." (Source: Breakfast)
He said over 3000 people remained without power in the Far North.
9.10am - Fibre operator Chorus says "it's us versus nature" as its crews work to restore communications to cyclone-ravaged parts of the North Island.
8.44am - Breakfast's Jenny-May Clarkson joined a Civil Defence helicopter flight that was delivering much-needed items to Tiniroto. Read more
Breakfast’s Jenny-May Clarkson jumped on a Civil Defence flight to a cut-off community between Gisborne and Wairoa. (Source: Breakfast)
8.32am - For the first time in a week, no warnings or watches have been issued on MetService's map of severe weather alerts.
8.17am - East Coast MP Kiritapu Allan told Breakfast that all government agencies were "on the till" for recovery and relief efforts resulting from the cyclone. Read more
Earlier this morning, the Government announced an additional $2 million support package for affected communities on the East Coast.
"It’s an all-of-government response here," Allan said, "so you'll see every agency that can possibly put their hands to the till kicking into force."
"That's the state at the moment, all hands on the till."
Breakfast’s Jenny-May Clarkson spoke with East Coast MP Kiritapu Allan about the situation in the region. (Source: Breakfast)
8.05am - Napier Civil Defence is urging people to avoid sharing speculation after rumours spread of possible evacuations and a bridge collapse yesterday.
"Communicating important information is a real challenge at the moment.
"Share verified information from official credible sources with as many people as possible. Remember official information can be subject to rapid change.
Power, internet connectivity, and other communication infrastructure remain out of action in Napier and the surrounding towns.
Authorities are reassuring locals that there is "no change in evacuation orders" this morning.
"There is no evacuation order in place for the Bridge Pa area. Reports of a dam breach upstream of Bridge Pa are incorrect."
Thousands more remain uncontactable after floodwaters consumed homes and businesses. (Source: 1News)
"There is no evacuation order in place for the Pakipaki area. Some rising water has been observed in Pakipaki, likely due to a blockage downstream and is being assessed.
"SH51 Bridge at Waitangi was closed for several hours yesterday afternoon to carry out a safety assessment. It was reopened for emergency personnel only on Thursday evening.
"Reports that the State Highway 51 bridge at Waitangi collapsed with people and cars trapped are incorrect."
7.45am - Looking from afar, the harrowing impact of Cyclone Gabrielle would have been scary for many families. For overseas families of RSE workers trapped in flood water, on the roof for hours would have been beyond difficult.
All workers are now accounted for and Auckland Tongan Community leader Pakilau Manase Lua describes how the workers have been left stranded.
Auckland Tongan community leader Pakilau Manase Lua says many orchard workers are willing and able to help with recovery efforts. (Source: Breakfast)
He said that people could be able to help with the clean-up effort in lieu of the work they were otherwise going to be doing.
"These guys are able-bodied. They've been doing heavy manual labour working in the orchards. Let's get them to - and maybe the Immigration Department can relax some of these settings - and get our people there ready to work."
7.30am - Tokomaru Bay civil defence coordinator Lillian Te Hau-Ward has told Breakfast that about 400 people remain cut off in and around the coastal settlements of Waipiro Bay and Te Puia Springs on the East Cape.
"Their Civil Defence lead who's really fatigued - she managed to call me late last night.
"She's given me a list of things that they need. So they're running low on gas to cook.
"Not only are they the Civil Defence lead, [but] they also cooking for all of Te Puia Springs.
"They're able to get down Waipiro Bay.
"The road is a bit sketchy, but if the locals can get up, then they can get down, and so they'll be pushing food to Taharora Marae which is an evacuation marae in Waipiro Bay."
7.20am - People are still being evacuated from their homes on Auckland's west coast in Piha as land remains dangerous and unstable days after Cyclone Gabrielle. Read more.
7:05am - Six people have been killed as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle - with the death toll rising overnight - following the confirmation that a firefighter who was left critically injured after a landslide in Muriwai succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
6:50am - Police's Tairāwhiti Area Commander Sam Aberahama says burglaries happening amid the cyclone recovery were "hugely disappointing".
"For people to take advantage, it's not good enough and they will be held to account.
"It's hugely disappointing that these people would take such actions and take such responses to businesses being closed.
READ MORE: Five arrested for looting in flood-stricken Hawke's Bay
"There's enough stress going on with our business owners and employees," he said.
He said connectivity and power outages continued to hamper people's ability to recover within the region - including for police.
"There'll be a number of search warrants executed. The investigations are ongoing.
"There's no power in the shop to sort of see what we need to see evidence-wise, but we're going to we're working really hard. We've got good teams of staff that are really motivated, who are going to find these people and hold them to account for this."
Officers are being flown into Hawke's Bay to bolster numbers on the ground. (Source: 1News)
6:38am - Speaking to Breakfast, East Coast MP Kiritapu Allan gave an update on the overnight progress in restoring services around the region.
She said about 20 truckloads of supplies, including food, had been brought into the region overnight.
Allan said she wanted to "extend our gratitude" to the Otago Helicopter Rescue team, which had flown up to support relief efforts.
6:15am - Local newspapers in Hawke's Bay are beginning to return to publication. Hawke’s Bay Today editor Chris Hyde posted an image of the newspaper's front page online.
6:00am - Overnight, FENZ confirmed to 1News that a second firefighter has died of their injuries sustained when a house collapsed in Muriwai.
READ MORE: Tragedy deepens as Cyclone Gabrielle death toll rises to six
Craig Stevens and his colleague, Dave van Zwanenberg, were at the property on Motutara Rd when the pair were trapped after a landslide caused the house to collapse.
Crews were able to rescue Stevens, but Fire and Emergency NZ confirmed last night he had died.
FENZ's chief executive Kerry Gregory said: "We are still coming to terms with the news that Craig, our second firefighter caught in the Muriwai landslide, has died in hospital.
"All of Fire and Emergency will feel his loss, and my heart goes out to his family.
SHARE ME