Foreign Visitors To Gisborne Call Your Embassy

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management is urging overseas visitors to the Gisborne area to please call their embassy or high commission and let them know of their situation.

The Ministry’s Director, John Hamilton, said that embassies and high commissions are receiving calls from relatives of visitors and from overseas media.

“The best thing that visitors can do to reassure their families is to call their nearest diplomatic office,” Mr Hamilton said. “Embassies and commissions can collect information about their citizens and relay it to their home countries.”

There are no reports of serious injuries or deaths caused by injuries from the earthquake.

New Zealanders contact your family or friends

Mr Hamilton is also advising New Zealanders wanting to contact family or friends in the Gisborne area to call them direct. They should not call the 0800 welfare number (0800 779 997) to ask about relatives or friends.

Some delays in getting telecommunications links into Gisborne might still be possible. If people cannot get through straightaway, they should wait and try again later or call a neighbour or friend in Gisborne.

The 0800 number is to provide services to people in the area who need welfare assistance, e.g. clothing, food, housing etc. Having to answer a large numbers of calls from outside the area can delay the provision of necessary welfare services.

ENDS

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