Death toll from Fiji cyclone hits 18 as aid sent to islands
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The death toll from a ferocious cyclone which tore through Fiji over the weekend now stands at 18 as authorities begin to get a grasp on the scale of the disaster and deploy aid to hard-hit outer islands.
Authorities are still having trouble communicating with some islands, including places like Koro Island which suffered some of the worst damage. And more than 6,000 residents across Fiji were staying in emergency shelters after their homes were broken or swamped.
Winds from Cyclone Winston, which tore through Fiji over the weekend, reached 177 miles per hour, making it the strongest storm in the Southern Hemisphere since record-keeping began, according to Weather Underground.
Fiji's permanent secretary for communications says getting emergency supplies to the group's far-flung islands and remote communities is the government's top priority. Home to 900,000 people, Fiji has more than 100 inhabited islands.