Emergency crews are struggling to reach people stranded on roofs in Hawke’s Bay - including dozens of orchard workers caught up in the heavy flooding.
Fire crews are working to get to the scene at Ōmarunui Rd, in Hastings, but are finding it difficult to get through due to high floodwaters. A chopper rescue is also being prevented because of heavy winds.
Orchard workers took to Facebook to livestream their predicament early this morning - many of them climbing onto the roof of their dorms to get away from rising floodwaters.
The Pacific workers are here under the Recognised Seasonal Employment scheme and work at the Mr Apple Kinross orchard, where they also live on site.
They can be seen using mattresses and a mini fridge to float around the area as they keep a close eye on the rising waters.
Orchard workers take cover as floodwaters rise in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Photo / Lie Tu'imoala
Although it appears somewhat slow to happen, a number of vans parked outside the properties quickly become covered and then almost fully submerged under the murky water.
Throughout their ordeal, there is still banter and laughter, however. Some grab items of food - including a packet of Maggi noodles - and start to eat.
The next few videos show the men climbing onto the roof, as the floodwaters inundate the buildings they were inside just minutes before.
1.45pm update
Tongan liaison Tevita Lata, who looks after RSE workers from Tonga in the Hawke’s Bay, said he got the first call from one of the team leaders shortly before 6am.
“That’s when the floods started. The leader said: ‘The water is coming up fast’. He thought the river bank must be flooding.”
The orchard is near the Tūtaekurī River.
Lata said at the time, the workers was describing flooding that was still low to the ground. The next time he spoke to someone on the phone, the water had come up to 2 metres high.
He said there were 50 workers based at the site and were made up of RSE workers from Tonga.
Up to 32 employees had arrived from the island kingdom just last week. They age from 20 years old to about 50 years old.
‘I don’t know if they’ve been rescued’
“The last contact I had with them was 10.45am,” Lata said this afternoon.
“They were all on the roof trying to keep safe then. The next time I tried calling them back but [no answer]. I know the battery is running out.”
Workers at an orchard on the banks of the Tutaekuri River in Hawke's Bay have been forced onto roofs as flood waters leave them stranded. Photo / Lie Tu'imoala
Lata said he had been in touch with Mr Apple employers. Because no one was on site at the time, they could only trust that the emergency services would get to the workers soon.
“I’ve been calling the Civil Defence and authorities. I still don’t know if they have been rescued.”
Lata said he had also been fielding hundreds of calls from worried relatives from Tonga and around New Zealand who had seen the livestream videos on Facebook and made contact.
“There have been more than 200 calls,” he said.
“Everyone is just worried. But we’re trying our best.”
