Fiji

PM Bainimarama declares Koro island priority, Fiji's neighbours quick to offer help

More than 2000 families have been affected losing everything when Cyclone Winston hit the island on Saturday.

Currently, Fiji Military personnel are loading emergency supplies for the island.

Military personnel have been deployed for eight days on the island.

Meanwhile, Fiji's regional partner countries say they'll be guided by Suva over how best they can provide help in the wake of Cyclone Winston.

Fiji devastation revealed from air

The most powerful storm in the country's recorded history barreled into the Fiji mainland and neighbouring smaller islands late on Saturday destroying entire villages, flooding low-lying areas, and wiping out crops.

A New Zealand Defence Force Orion has been helping with aerial surveillance of the outer islands of Koro, Lau, Taveuni and Rabi.

Red Cross responds to Cyclone Winston in Fiji

Melanie Ogle, a New Zealander with Red Cross in Suva says Fiji Red Cross is a strong organisation and is already responding to the damage caused by Cyclone Winston. 

“Over 300 Fiji Red Cross staff and volunteers of have so far been mobilised to support at-risk communities and people in evacuation centres. Volunteers are trained in emergency response and propositioned relief aid was on hand.”

Red Cross has enough emergency relief stock prepositioned across Fiji to support 12,500 people.

Australia pledges $5m aid to Fiji

The funding package will be a rapid release of pre-positioned stores and food items to assist people who remain in evacuation centres.

The supplies will give communities access to safe drinking water and basic hygiene for those who have lost houses and remain displaced.

TC Winston claims 10 lives in Fiji’s Western Division

This was confirmed exclusively to FBC News by the Divisional Planning Officer West, Sitiveni Tavaga.

Seven of the deceased are from Ra; one from Nadi and a 48-year-old from Lautoka.

Two of the seven people who lost their lives in Ra drowned during storm surges at the height of TC Winston – one of them was 97-years-old.

Death toll climbs in cyclone ravaged Fiji

The chairman of the Ba Mission Hospital has confirmed two people died in the town, and two others are in a serious but stable condition.

Cyclone Winston leaves five dead in Fiji

Fiji media have reported that Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has announced the new death toll.

The category five cyclone has been described as the strongest storm ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.

Schools "devastated", man dead after Winston

Homes have been destroyed, power lines are down and trees are blocking roads in many areas after tropical Cyclone Winston swept through the islands with wind gusts of up to 325kmh.

One person is reported so far to have died in the storm - an elderly man who was hit by flying debris - while hundreds have fled to evacuation centres. A curfew remains in force as the authorities go about assessing the damage.

'There's not one house that has not been damaged'

Fijian villages feel Winston's fury

Disaster officials told a local broadcaster that an elderly man on Koro Island died after a roof fell on him.

Two hundred millimetres of rain was due to fall in some areas which could have triggered landslides. Flood warnings were issued for low-lying areas, with tidal surges possible.

Cyclone Winston ravaged the country overnight, but was now slowly moving away and leaving the country to assess the damage as daylight breaks.

Vast destruction feared as Winston makes landfall on Viti Levu

The country had spent much of Saturday in lockdown, with transport cancelled and nationwide curfew and state of emergency declared by the government.

Already there are initial reports of severe damage across the country, with reports of houses being flattened and heavy swells washing away sea walls.

Unconfirmed reports suggest one person died when they were struck by falling debris on Koro island, according to local media, but a police spokesperson was unable to confirm reports.