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A powerful cyclone struck Fiji overnight, killing at least two people and destroying dozens of homes in the Pacific island nation, authorities said today.
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Some people took refuge in caves when the storm hit. Source: 1 NEWS
While Cyclone Yasa was terrifying for those who crossed its path, there was a sense of relief in other parts of the country that the devastation was not as widespread as many had initially feared.
Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said in a video message that the confirmed dead were a 3-month-old baby and a man in his 40s.
“The dust has not yet settled,” Bainimarama said. “But we are probably seeing hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.”
He said the cyclone hit with wind gusts of up to 345 kilometers per hour.
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At least two people were killed when the Category 5 storm made landfall last night. Source: 1 NEWS
FBC News reported that the man who died was Ramesh Chand, a farmer who was taking shelter from the cyclone at his home on the island of Vanua Levu when part of his house fell on him, also injuring his oldest son.
Richard Markham, co-owner of KokoMana, a small company that makes chocolate on an island farm, said there were broken trees everywhere and there was no electricity.
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The entire nation has been under an overnight curfew with a state of natural disaster declared. Source: Breakfast
“I went out this morning to visit some of our staff about a mile from where I live. It was devastating, ”he said. “The slopes and fields are covered with torn roofing iron. It’s quite shocking. ”
The storm destroyed many houses on the island, which is the second largest in Fiji.
The eye of the storm moved across Vanua Levu around 6 p.m. Thursday. He missed the capital Suva and the main resort of Nadi on Fiji’s largest island, Viti Levu.
Authorities said the cyclone was weakening on Friday as it moved southeast over some of Fiji’s outer islands.
However, they warned of the danger of flooding. The Fijian government said the Rewa River was rising and the rain continued intermittently. The Rewa skirts Suva and passes through Nausori, where Suva Airport is located.
Many had been concerned that the storm could rival the destruction caused by Cyclone Winston, which killed 44 people and caused widespread damage when it struck in 2016.
The Fiji Times newspaper reported that the cyclone had destroyed some 20 houses and a community hall in Tiliva village and that houses in other villages had also been damaged or destroyed.
Authorities warned that the cyclone would hit with sustained winds of up to 250 kilometers per hour. But by Friday, the cyclone’s winds had dropped to about half that speed.
The storm caused more than 20,000 people to move to government evacuation centers. It also downed power lines, cut off communications, and caused flash floods and road closures.
Before the cyclone struck, the authorities had imposed a night curfew across the country and declared a state of natural disaster. They were imposing another curfew on Friday night.
Located about a third of the way from New Zealand to Hawaii, Fiji has a population of about 930,000.
