People missing in Hawke's Bay as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle are now down to single figures, according to Urban Search and Rescue (USAR).
Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Hawke’s Bay USAR team leader Ken Cooper said initially there were 4000 people unaccounted for, and as of yesterday morning it was down to 1000.
He said the number then went down to 200 yesterday and as of this morning they are down to single figures.
Asked what the likelihood of finding the missing people alive is, Cooper said the conditions they are searching in are "very arduous".
"It's something that I've never seen before, very challenging for our search crews and the community, however it's out responsibility of our crews and we'll carry out those searches to the best of our ability."
Cooper said the most challenging part of the clean up operation has been the amount of silt.
"It's very challenging for our search crews, very challenging for the search and rescue dogs that are working in there, so hot conditions during the day.
"However, our people are very experienced, working internationally and nationally and we'll just continue to carry out our process and that's certainly a message I'd like to put out this morning, it's really important to remember that the silt is considered to be a hazard to respiratory [systems].
"So please ensure that you're wearing a mask if you're working and it's dusty and seek medical attention."
Police said the number of uncontactable people across the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne regions was 152 as of 9am on Thursday.
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