Cyclone Tomas tears across Fiji.
As Fiji starts to pick up the pieces after the tropical Cyclone Tomas the Australian High Commission has confirmed that 12 Australians are still missing in the aftermath.
Cyclone Tomas struck the national islands of Fiji on Monday and Tuesday, destroying at least two villages in the Lau islands and causing extensive damage elsewhere. Whilst deaths have been reported, there is as yet no figures being released. In fact the scale of the damage may not be realised for some time yet as remote areas have been cut off by the storm.
35 Australians have been reported as safe and well in the northern division, but a further 12 Australians from the same area are still unaccounted for.
A state of emergency has been declared for the region, with the director of the National Disaster Management Office, Pajiliai Dobui, saying it was one of the worst cyclones to hit the region: “Those who have experienced other cyclones say this is the longest and the strongest they have come across – and the most destructive.”
Both Australia and New Zealand have started airlifting aid to the regions worst affected and taking surveys to try to gauge the extent of the damage. So far both countries have pledged up to $1 million in emergency funds.
Sea surges caused by the cyclone have resulted in many areas being subjected to flooding, forcing many more people out of their homes. The Lau group of islands, the worst hit by the storm, have reported that almost half of their buildings have been destroyed.
The Australian High Commission are still trying to contact the missing Australians, it is hoped that they are in one of the areas that have had communications cut. Aerial surveys taken of the areas so far show very little activity on the ground, leading the New Zealand airforce to presume that most villagers fled inland to safety.
Love Australia? Let us keep you informed...
- Join the Embrace Australia community today. Have your questions answered by our experts, start your own blog, get vital migration information and gain valuable insight from those who have already made the journey.
- Subscribe to our RSS Feed and have all our daily news and features delivered straight to your news reader.
- Join our mailing list -
