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The Pacific island nation of Fiji has been hit by flooding and landslides following Thursday night’s storm. Wind gusts of up to 96 meters per second have destroyed buildings, roads have been blocked by bodies of water and trees have fallen.
Yasa, which is said to be a category five cyclone, stopped over the second largest island, Vanua Levu. On Friday, much of the island was affected and several parts difficult to access due to flooding.
“I never experienced anything like this”
Before the storm, hundreds of thousands of people had been called to evacuate.
Rescue teams tried to reach the most isolated affected areas as soon as possible.
– We all feared for our lives and in one situation I thought we would lose our home. During my 65 years, I have never experienced anything like this, says Zalim Hussein in the Vanua Levu village of Savusavu, according to TT.
The danger is not over yet
Hundreds of thousands of people were asked to evacuate and two deaths have so far been reported, a three-month-old baby and a 45-year-old man, writes The Guardian. At the same time, humanitarian workers are trying to reach the worst affected areas.
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has said the damage is estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. At the same time, he continues to urge residents to stay protected, as there is still no fear that the danger is over for some parts of the island.
The government has estimated that 850,000 people, or 95 percent of Fiji’s population, will be affected by the cyclone.
Third category five cyclone since 2016
Yasa is the third category five storm to hit Fiji since 2016, killing 44 people and destroying tens of thousands of homes in Cyclone Winston. In April this year, 31 people were killed when Cyclone Harold stopped the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga.
Prime Minister Bainimarama blames climate change for the increasing number of severe storms that have hit the region in recent years.
