Elton John concert canceled as torrential rain and flash floods hit Auckland

SYDNEY: Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, declared a state of emergency on Friday as heavy rains caused widespread flooding and evacuations, closed the city’s airport and forced organizers to cancel a scheduled Elton John concert.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown declared a state of emergency due to the severity of the “disruption, displacement and disruption” caused by the weather and the need for response agencies to use more powers.

Auckland Emergency Management tweeted that the north, northwest and west of the city had been affected by severe flooding and conditions were expected to worsen.

Videos on social media showed firefighters, police and Defense Force workers using ropes and lifeboats to rescue people trapped from flooded homes. There are no details yet on how many people have been evacuated so far.

Major roads were also blocked by floodwaters, resulting in long queues for traffic on the highway. Police said they were working with Fire and Emergency New Zealand to respond to the call and asked people to stay off the road as much as possible.

Auckland Airport has closed its domestic and international airports due to flooding. Images on social media showed the boarding area of ​​the international terminal being submerged in knee-deep flood water.

British musician Elton John’s concert in the city, which was scheduled to have around 40,000 people in attendance, was cancelled.

Auckland Transport said in a statement on Twitter: “Due to the weather, tonight’s show has been canceled. Our operations team is working to reroute special event buses to help people get home.” (Reuters)