BREAKING NEWS: Four dead as parts of New Zealand under state of emergency

Authorities in New Zealand say the death toll has risen to four after continuous heavy rainfall in the country´s north island has caused severe floods and landslides 

Heavy rainfall in the north island of New Zealand has caused major flash floods and landslides in the country, killing four people.  

The capital city of Auckland which is home to over 1.6 million residents has been under a state of emergency, as the country´s weather forecaster MetService has issued a warning of more severe weather on Sunday, January 29, and Monday, January 30.  

The MetService has also warned that the high intensity of rainfall could also cause further surface and flash flooding.  

Authorities have also declared a state of emergency further south in the Waitomo District, about 220 km (137 miles) from Auckland.  

Police have also said that a man who had been reported missing since Friday in the region of Onewhero, has now been confirmed to have died.  

“The most horrific part of it is that we’ve lost lives,” said Carmel Sepuloni deputy prime minister, as cited by the Guardian.  

Blaming the events on climate change, which has resulted in increasing episodes of heavy rainfall in the country, New Zealand´s climate change minister James Shaw made a statement that said, “We all have a responsibility to make certain the NZ we leave our kids is safe & habitable”.  

Official estimates by the government suggest that thousands of houses in the country are without electricity or water, while several roads in the region have been cut off due to landslides and flooding.

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