A temporary morgue has been set up at Napier Port, the Herald understands, amid fears more people will be found dead in the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle.
The number of fatalities from the disaster stands at seven.
However, police have grave concerns for some of the 3500 who are still uncontactable.
“And we do need to be prepared for the likelihood that there will be more fatalities,” Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said yesterday.
The Herald understands the temporary morgue has been set up at Napier Port by police and the New Zealand Defence Force. The port company would not comment and referred the Herald to the Defence Force, which referred queries to the police. Police have yet to respond to requests for comment.
There have testy scenes in Napier as residents face lengthy queues at supermarkets and to buy fuel at petrol stations. Police were forced to intervene when an ugly shouting match erupted in the line for petrol at BP Carlyle this morning.
Meanwhile, emergency supplies of food, water and fuel are arriving in cyclone-struck Gisborne, but warnings remain that there are “still major issues in the ravaged region”.
”The water situation is still critical and with residents failing to reduce their usage, the reality of the taps running dry looms large,” local authorities said today.
It was confirmed last night that the second Muriwai firefighter, Craig Stevens, who was taken to hospital in a critical condition late on Monday night, had died.
”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,” Fire and Emergency New Zealand chief executive Kerry Gregory said last night.
Meanwhile, further south on Auckland’s west coast, people are still being evacuated from their homes in Piha as land remains dangerous and unstable days after Cyclone Gabrielle, RNZ reports. Locals are warning city sightseers to stay away from the Auckland beach community, saying they are still in the middle of an emergency.
Surf club custodian Paul Newnham says a lot of land is still moving.
“There’s still boulders the size of cars falling out of some of these things,” he says.
If you have been unable to contact a friend or family member - or if you have fled the storm and want others to know you are safe - you can post a message here on the NZ Herald’s community noticeboard.
The 19-year-old disappeared without her wallet or mobile phone.