Fiji readies relief for cyclone hit islands

Fiji authorities say naval vessels will sail from Suva early tomorrow to take relief teams and initial emergency supplies to people hit by Cyclone Tomas in the nation's northern and eastern island groups.

Parts of the country that the "eye" of Tomas passed over experienced sea swells of up to seven metres, with several coastal villages inundated by sea surges, the Fiji Times reported.

Fiji disaster management officials told the AFP newsagency that they had received reports of "a few" deaths as the cyclone pounded the nation.

"I think some lost their lives, " National Disaster Management Office director Pajiliai Dobui said. "It is just a few but what we have been hearing from some of the islands is the devastation and the wind and the storm surges were too much".

He said the numbers of dead and injured could not be confirmed by police until communications were restored with affected islands in the Lau group, to the east of the main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

Mr Dobui said reports from islands suggested the cyclone was the worst in living memory.

"Those who have experienced other cyclones say this is the longest and the strongest they have come across - and the most destructive," he said.

The extent of damage was still unclear with communications still cut off with many affected areas, officials said.

A curfew placed on northern, eastern and central regions will be lifted at dawn tomorrow, as the tropical cyclone moves off the country. A 30-day state of natural disaster has been declared in the northern and eastern areas.

The category 4 cyclone was expected to pass Fiji's southern-most island, Ono-i-Lau, around midnight tonight or early tomorrow, and the nation's director of meteorology Rajendra Prasad said tonight the hurricane force winds were likely to start weakening.

Late today they were still at peak intensity with estimated average winds of 175kmh and gusts up to 230kmh close to the centre, with damaging gales extending up to 280km from the cyclone centre as it moved over the southern Lau group.

The Fiji Times reported over 10,000 people had sought shelter in the early hours of Tuesday, and later estimates said there were 17,000 people in 240 evacuation centres. In places, power supplies were disrupted and roofs torn off by the wind, with at least 50 houses destroyed. Many public services were suspended and international flights cancelled.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully said New Zealand had an Air Force C-130 Hercules on stand-by to head to Fiji as soon as weather conditions ease. Air New Zealand is again servicing Nadi International Airport, the main airport in Fiji.

"New Zealand is working closely with our partners under Franz - the joint France, Australia and New Zealand disaster relief arrangement - on how to best respond to the situation," he said.

The Hercules could carry emergency supplies to Fiji, and assist with aerial reconnaissance of outer islands.

Schools in the Lau group and another 90 used as evacuation centres on Fiji's main islands will remain closed tomorrow, but all other schools will re-open, the Fiji Times reported.

Education Ministry head Filipe Bole said all teachers were expected to report to work, and the Public Service commission said all civil servants will be back at work.

In New Zealand, WeatherWatch analyst Philip Duncan said it was possible the Fijian storm may bring slightly larger seas to New Zealand's east coast in the next few days, particularly around East Cape, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay.

He said the other big tropical cyclone in the Pacific, Ului, stalled today and was moving at just 5kmh, slower than walking speed, with sustained winds around 175kmh posing no threat to land at this stage.

- NZPA