Dramatic footage has emerged of a traffic bridge on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island being washed away as strong winds and heavy rainfall batter the region.
The Waiho River Bridge, near Franz Josef, crumbled under the strain of floodwaters on Tuesday, spilling chunks of concrete into the water.
The footage shows the bridge twisting before it is swept away by the current, snapping the structure.
TVNZ broadcast live footage on Wednesday morning of what was left of the bridge, showing just support structures and twisted debris on one end of the river remaining, with at least half of the bridge destroyed.
The river had reportedly run as high as 7.6 metres, while elsewhere in the Westland region the Haast River was also running at 7.6m.
Police say one woman has been found dead after her body washed up on a riverbank north of the town of Hokitika, saying she had appeared to get out of the vehicle she was driving and tried to cross floodwaters on foot. Investigations are ongoing.
Roads have been closed and residents evacuated in some areas, and the severe weather expected to move towards the country's North Island on Wednesday.
A state of emergency has been declared in the district, with regional mayor Bruce Smith telling local radio that keeping people safe remained the priority.
"This is a 100-year event, there is a huge amount of rain … I haven't seen all of the rivers impacted in Westland at exactly the same time," he said.
Mr Smith said farmers on the south side of the Waiho River had been attempting to self-evacuate, but the rising river levels were causing additional problems.
New Zealand's Meteorological Service said the storm was "a significant event even by West Coast standards", adding that residents were advised to avoid all but essential travel.
