Fiji devastated by strongest storm to hit Southern Hemisphere

Fiji is counting the cost of a cyclone that has devastated the Pacific island nation and which has been described as the strongest storm ever to hit the southern hemisphere.

The death toll from Cyclone Winston, which struck at the weekend, has risen to 18 with the scale of the disaster only just starting to be assessed as the weather starts to clear.

More than 6,000 residents across Fiji were reported to be staying in emergency shelters after their homes were battered in the winds, which reached 177 miles per hour.

NABOUWALU JETTY DAMAGED

According to the Weather Underground website, that made Cyclone Winston the strongest storm recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Fijian government has declared a 30-day state of natural disaster and has formally appealed for international assistance to support the relief effort.

The lifting of a curfew imposed on Saturday signified the start of the clean-up operation – made more difficult by the fact Fiji’s most outer islands were hardest hit.

In a televised address to the nation, Fiji Prime Minster Voreqe Bainimarama said the police and military would be deployed to help begin the clean-up.

“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.

“This is a time of sorrow, but it will also be a time of action. We will stand united in the face of this disaster.”

Fiji has approximately 900,000 inhabitants, spread over 100 islands, and the government said getting aid to the hard-hit remote islands was its priority.

“The logistics of getting supplies and equipment to remote communities is difficult,” Fiji’s permanent secretary for communications Ewan Perrin said.

“Some have lost their jetties and it’s uncertain if airstrips are able to be landed on.”

In wake of #TCWinston our main concern is for children and pregnant & breastfeeding women https://t.co/M57DfiPlTJ pic.twitter.com/CsuIIrLaUr

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) February 22, 2016

Perrin said authorities were sending a vessel to Koro Island – one of the worst affected islands – filled with medical supplies, food and water. He said crews on the boat would build temporary shelters for those people on the island whose homes had been destroyed.

He said Fijians were taking the disaster in stride.

“The people here are fairly resilient and they’re accustomed to these things happening,” he said.

“Most are going about their business or helping clean up. There’s been a very well-coordinated disaster response and we’re deploying quickly.”

Perrin said most of the people who died in the cyclone were hit by flying debris or were in buildings which collapsed. A handful of people had also been hospitalised with severe injuries, he said.

Tourism Minister Faiyaz Siddiq Koya said all tourists in Fiji were safe and there was no significant damage to the majority of hotels on the main island.

Fiji is a popular tourist destination, known for its beach resorts and scuba diving.