Aid teams find scenes of devastation in Vanuatu after catastrophic storm

The first aid teams to reach Vanuatu reported widespread devastation yesterday as authorities declared a state of emergency after a "monster" cyclone tore through the vulnerable Pacific island nation.

With winds of more than 300km/h, Cyclone Pam razed homes, smashed boats and washed away roads and bridges as it struck late on Friday and into Saturday. Aid workers described the situation as catastrophic.

The count of confirmed deaths was at eight with 30 people injured. But those numbers were almost certain to rise as rescuers reached the low-lying archipelago's outlying islands.

Aid workers were particularly worried about the southern island of Tanna. An official with the Australian Red Cross said an aircraft had managed to land there and confirmed "widespread destruction".

"Virtually every building that is not concrete has been flattened," said the official, adding two deaths had been confirmed on the island which has a population of about 29,000 and is about 200km south of the capital, Port Vila. Witnesses in Port Vila described sea surges of up to eight metres and widespread flooding as the category 5 cyclone hit.

Residents said the storm sounded like a freight train. Port Vila was strewn with debris and looked as if a bomb had gone off.