Fiji cyclone death toll climbs to 18 as aid sent to islands

Mar 04, 2016, 09:40

With much of the recovery effort focused on urban areas in Fiji, emergency workers said they would begin shifting their attention to more rural regions, some reportedly annihilated by the storm, across the 300 islands making up the archipelago.

Meanwhile, according to stuff.co.nz, most of Fiji was without power yesterday and some villages have been totally destroyed by Cyclone Winston, with one resident saying she could not "begin to comprehend" how she had survived. A nationwide curfew was imposed at 6pm amid safety concerns and flights to and from Fiji were also cancelled.

The powerful cyclone hit Fiji and then moved westward along the north coast of Viti Levu.

Three of the deaths were in Nadi, and two other people died during storm surges in the northern part of Fiji's biggest island, Viti Levu, PINA said.

"The damage has been widespread, homes have been destroyed, many low-lying areas have flooded, and many people have been left stunned and confused about what to do", he said.

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The island nation has declared a month-long state of natural disaster after the storm that Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama described as an "assault on Fiji".

The storm hit late on Saturday, felling trees, bringing down power lines and ripping off roofs.

The Tourism Minister, Mr.Faiyaz Siddiq Koya has expressed his disgrace to the International Tourists for the breakdown of the communication system.

"We had a pretty hairy night here with the wind and the rain and we weren't even in the direct pathway of the cyclone", Anna Cowley, CARE Australia's Pacific Gender Advisor in Suva told Reuters.

About 80% of the nation's 900,000 people were without regular power, although about one-third of them were able to get some power from generators.

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More than 8,000 people sought refuge in 50-plus evacuation centers around the Pacific island nation, The Fiji Times reported.

Thousands are now living in 750 evacuation centres opened by the government, which is now encouraging people to start returning home to clean up.

He said the electricity network across Fiji remained patchy, and in some cases power had been deliberately cut to prevent further damage.

The Australian and New Zealand government authorized the release of emergency aid supplies held in the Fijian capital of Suva, which escaped the brunt of the Category 5 storm.

Air New Zealand has resumed flights between Auckland and Nadi but the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade continued to advise against all tourist and non-essential travel to Fiji.

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