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Source: ONE News -
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The New Zealand government has committed an initial $1 million in aid to Fiji after a devastating cyclone which has killed at least one person, destroyed homes and knocked out power and communications, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says.
At least one person was dead and more than 18,000 people were being housed in evacuation centres following Cyclone Tomas, which battered Fiji's outer islands with winds up to 250kmh, flattening houses and causing sea surges, from Monday.
Discussions on how New Zealand's aid contribution could be best spent were underway, and it could go to the Red Cross, purchasing food and materials and supporting the local response, McCully says.
The aid announcement followed the Australian government's announcement of up to $A1 million ($NZ1.26 million) in emergency assistance.
A New Zealand Air Force Hercules arrived in Suva on Wednesday morning with relief supplies including tarpaulins, water purification tablets and water containers, along with personnel who would undertake reconnaissance work and damage assessment.
Once the cargo was offloaded, the Hercules would undertake aerial reconnaissance and was likely to deliver supplies to Labasa, on Vanua Levu, Fiji's second-largest island.
Fiji disaster management officials say they had received reports of "a few" deaths as the cyclone pounded the nation.
But National Disaster Management Office director Pajiliai Dobui says the numbers of dead and injured could not be confirmed by police until communications were restored with islands in the north and east.
Earlier McCully told Radio New Zealand the Hercules may be in Fiji for several days and New Zealand would continue to help, if Fiji requested it.
"It appears that after the initial reconnaissance work's undertaken, damage assessment work, it'll be necessary to fly some supplies from Nadi or Suva to the affected areas, but quite how possible that's going to be is going to depend on the availability of suitable runways and that sort of consideration."
An Orion was also on standby to provide further reconnaissance if required.
McCully says Australia was making a similar offer of assistance and New Zealand's relief effort would be coordinated with Australia and France, "who've got assets in the area as well".
Rotary New Zealand was also handing out emergency response kits containing water treatment tablets, first aid materials, candles, tools and plastic cover sheets in Fiji.
Rotary New Zealand's World Community Service programme director Stuart Batty said 142 of the kits were already stored in Fiji in case of a cyclone, with another 335 ready to be sent to Fiji from Auckland.
Around 480 New Zealanders were registered with the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry (Mfat) as being in Fiji but there had been no reports of any casualties.
At least five New Zealand tourists were trapped on the northeastern island of Qamea without phones and power, The Dominion Post reported.
A curfew placed on northern, eastern and central regions was lifted at dawn today, with a 30-day state of natural disaster declared in the northern and eastern areas.
The category four cyclone was expected to pass Fiji's southern-most island, Ono-i-Lau, by early today, and the nation's director of meteorology Rajendra Prasad said last night the hurricane force winds were likely to start weakening.
Strong wind warnings remained in place for Kadavu and Southern Lau, Mfat advised.
Disaster management team spokesman Laisania Tui told Radio New Zealand clearing up 34 schools used as evacuation centres was a priority, as well as clearing debris, providing clean water and avoiding an outbreak of disease, such as typhoid.
Compounding the weather problems in the region was Tropical Cyclone Ului, which was pounding the Solomon Islands.
There were no reports of casualties or damage to buildings from Ului, Mfat says.
Around 60 New Zealanders were registered with MFAT as being in the Solomon Islands.
The New Zealand government was ready to assist in the Solomon Islands if required, Mfat says.
