Three dead as cyclone strikes Fiji

16 Dec, 2009 01:00 AM

SUVA - Three people are dead after a tropical cyclone battered Fiji, causing flooding, damaging homes and power lines and forcing thousands of villagers to flee to shelters.

Cyclone Mick, Fiji's first cyclone this summer season, ripped through the most populated island of Viti Levu on Monday night and headed toward Tonga, which has been placed on alert.

Fiji's National Disaster Management Office said the death and injury toll had been reduced by people from the South Pacific nation heeding the cyclone warning and flocking to emergency shelters.

"People took evasive action ... took the warning seriously and moved to shelters because their homes were not strong enough and because they feared the floodwaters," the agency's principal officer, Patiliai Dobui, said.

About 3000 people had sought shelter ahead of the damaging winds and torrential rains, but by late yesterday most had returned to their homes, he said.

Fiji's Meteorological Service said winds gusting up to 150kmh were recorded close to the category 2 cyclone's epicentre, with winds averaging 90 to 110kmh.

Category 1 is the lowest cyclone rating, category 5 the highest.

Mick was a "very vicious" cyclone with damaging gale-force winds that struck up to six hours earlier than expected, said Tim Sutton, of the UN Children's Fund, who is based in Suva.

"There's a lot of damage. Lots of trees down, power lines down everywhere, all the roads around Viti Levu are still closed with flooding and landslides," he said.

On the west coast of Viti Levu, two people were swept away in the Sigatoka River.

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