Off the wire
• Spanish soccer results  • Qatar Open tennis results  • Copa America Centenario draw  • Xinhua China news advisory -- Feb. 22  • Bundesliga scorers  • Dutch league results  • Bundesliga standings  • Dutch soccer standings  • N. India riots leave 12 dead, gov't appeals for end of violence  • Australian fruit exports to Asia at risk if fruit fly comes to Tasmania: experts  
You are here: 　 Home

Fiji's death toll from tropical cyclone Winston climbs to at least 10

Xinhua, February 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

Fiji's death toll from severe tropical cyclone Winston has risen to at least 10, the government-owned Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) confirmed Monday.

According to Sitiveni Tavaga, planning officer for Fiji's west division, seven of the deceased are from Ra Province, one from Lautoka City and one from the tourism hub of Nadi. The tenth is unaccounted for.

The victims either drowned, got killed by flying debris or died during medical evacuation at the height of Winston, a category 5 tropical cyclone that swept through Fiji on Saturday night between the main island of Viti Levu and northern island of Vanua Levu, or between Fiji's western and northern divisions, with gusts of over 320 km per hour.

Meanwhile, Tavaga confirmed to the FBC that seven fishermen from the Yasawas group of islands in the western division are missing at sea. The fishermen went out to sea on Friday and have not been heard from since.

Fiji has declared a state of natural disaster for a period of 30 days. A curfew imposed during the cyclone was lifted Monday morning.

China's Ministry of Commerce has declared that it is working on a plan to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Fiji. Enditem