Super cyclone Yasa hits Fiji, destroys dozens of homes
- Yasa hits Pacific island nation with wind gusts of up to 345km/h
- Rescuers raced to the worst-hit communities in isolated areas
A powerful cyclone hit Fiji overnight, killing at least two people and destroying dozens of homes in the Pacific island nation, authorities said on Friday.
While Cyclone Yasa was terrifying for those in its path, there was a sense of relief in other parts of the country that the devastation wasn’t as widespread as many had feared.
Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said in a video message that those confirmed dead were a 3-month-old baby and a man in his mid-40s.
“The dust is yet to settle,” Bainimarama said. “But we are likely looking at hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.”
He said the cyclone hit with wind gusts of up to 345km/h.
FBC News reported the man who died was a farmer who was sheltering from the cyclone in his home on the island of Vanua Levu when part of his house fell on him, also injuring his eldest son.