NEW Zealand authorities declared a state of emergency in the province of Canterbury on Sunday, as the region was pounded by heavy rain that could force thousands of people to abandon their homes. Acting Emergency Management Minister Kris Faafoi, who visited the hardest-hit southern parts of the area, said about 3,000 homes were put at risk by the floods and the army had been mobilized to assist with evacuations if necessary. The New Zealand Meteorological Service has issued a rare “red” warning for the area, with up to 300mm of rain expected to fall in inland areas. In coastal Christchurch, the main city in Canterbury, forecasters expected about 100mm to fall, well above the monthly total average for May. Canterbury Civil Defence emergency management group controller Neville Reilly told the New Zealand Herald that the state of emergency was declared because authorities could not afford to take chances. Neil Brown, the mayor of Ashburton, said about 4,000 people in the town could be forced to evacuate if the Ashburton River breaks its banks.(SD-Agencies) |