There's hope some roads into Westport, on the South Island's West Coast, will open later today
There's hope some roads into Westport, on the South Island's West Coast, will open later today
17 July 2021
Buller Mayor Jamie Cleine says the Buller Gorge is closed due to flooding and the Coast Road is shut because of at least one slip.
He says most of those need some daylight for contractors to assess and give the estimated opening times.
Cleine hopes that will be later in the day.
Seven hundred people have spent the night in four evacuation centres in Westport.
They were asked to leave their homes last night because of heavy rain, which has caused the Buller River to rise to just over 11 metres.
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