Cyclone Tomas kills three, destroys 400 homes

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Three people died, almost 400 homes were destroyed and more than 400 damaged by cyclone Tomas when it swept across Fiji last week.

Early assessments from the Disaster Management Operations Officer in Fiji, Anthony Blake, indicated 376 homes have been destroyed, 423 have been damaged and up to 72 classrooms had been either damaged or destroyed.

But evacuation centres in the north and eastern parts of the country are now closed.

NZ and Australian C-130 Hercules have now left the country after the Fiji National Disaster Management Office confirmed that there was no further need for reconnaissance and air lift assistance.

But 45 large tents funded by the New Zealand Government which arrived in Nadi last night will be used as temporary class rooms and 200 family-sized Red Cross tents will leave Auckland today for use by the Fiji Red Cross.

But more than 30,000 people in Fiji are at risk of catching typhoid after the cyclone damaged fresh water supplies.

Fiji's deputy secretary for public health, Joe Koroivueta, told AAP their number one health concern was the lack of safe drinking water.

"At the moment some of the places don't have access to water and those that do have water we need to treat to make it safe," Dr Koroivueta said from his office in Suva.

Radio New Zealand reported an estimated 30,000 people are now at risk of catching typhoid.

"The whole northern division and the eastern division ... they are people at risk," Dr Koroivueta said.

"Also in certain areas of the western division too.

"We have teams doing assessment now ... the issue right now is basically to meet the emergency needs.

"The road towards maintaining a safe water supply, that's a different discussion."

A state of natural disaster was declared in Fiji last week, after winds peaking at 200kmh and massive storm surges flattened buildings, uprooted trees and forced the temporary evacuation of 17,000 people.

The northern parts of the Lau and Lomaiviti Group of islands were the worst hit, with eight metre swells pounding the islands.

The category four cyclone had also thrashed hospitals, clinics, nurses quarters, doctors' homes and health centres, health ministry spokesman Iliesa Tora told Fiji Broadcasting.

Unicef teams have delivered supplies to remote parts of the Lau Group and additional first aid is is due throughout the week.

- NZPA