Tourists flee cyclone-hit Fiji as death toll up to 20
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TOURISTS began fleeing cyclone-ravaged Fiji yesterday and aid efforts intensified as the death toll climbed to 20, with officials warning it could rise further as reports trickle in from devastated remote communities.
Aerial photographs revealed entire villages were flattened when severe tropical cyclone Winston struck overnight on Saturday, lashing the Pacific island nation with gusts of 325 kilometers per hour.
“The images emerging from early aerial assessments of affected areas are truly heartbreaking, leaving little doubt about the ferocity of this cyclone,” said the UN’s Fiji coordinator Osnat Lubrani.
“It is clear from these catastrophic impacts that Fiji is facing a long road to recovery.”
Winston, the strongest cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere, razed scores of homes, crippled infrastructure and forced terrified residents to shelter in evacuation centres.
International tourists caught up in the disaster began to leave as flights resumed at Nadi airport after a two-day suspension.
Fiji’s economy relies on tourism, particularly Australians and New Zealanders, and Tourism Minister Faiyaz Siddiq Koya gave assurances that “all visitors are safe and comfortable.”
The airport’s opening allowed aid efforts to be ramped up, with Australia announcing a 5 million Australian dollars (US$3.6 million) package, including basics such as food and drinking water.
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