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Flooding in Fiji's Nadi (ONE News) - Source: ONE News -
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The Fiji government has declared a State of Disaster as parts of the island nation remain inundated with flood waters after days of heavy rain.
Curfews have been imposed in areas where there is massive flooding. Both Nadi and Ba are under strict controls, with police patrols out to protect businesses and restrictions are also in force around Suva as locals start what is expected to be a lengthy clean-up.
The flooding has already claimed at least five lives and overnight two teenage girls were washed away in a mudslide in one of Viti Levu's eastern villages.
Roads remain swamped with hundreds of tourists stranded in their hotels.
Roads remain swamped and are closed in Nadi and Lautoka with travel restrictions in force around Suva in an effort to prevent people getting into trouble.
Access to Nadi International Airport has been marginal leaving hundreds of tourists stranded in their hotels, while some have already fled the islands after the severe floods.
Australian woman Karen Murphy says she made it home after "a risky ride to the airport".
Tourists on the resort of Denarau Island are trapped, after the only road to the airport was inundated.
"It was high tide and the water was up and over the wheels. They were swiming in front of us." says Deborah Lagdon, a holidaymaker.
The country's Western Division is worst hit, with more heavy rain on the way and looking likely to continue into next week. Many places are under water after a storm dumped 400 millimetres of rain in 12 hours.
Phone contact with Fiji is all but impossible with lines either dead or constantly engaged.
Rivers burst their banks, flooding 40 villages and leaving many homeless.
More than 30 evacuation centres have been set up by Fiji's National Disaster Management Centre. Already, almost 1200 people stranded by the weather are taking refuge in the shelters.
Crops around the Fiji islands have been destroyed in torrential ran and high winds and tourists say supplies are running low at some resorts.
Some of the restaurants and bars are shut due to the supply shortages but the hotels are still operating.
However, many workers physically cannot get to their hotel jobs.
About 500 New Zealanders are in Fiji with House of Travel. Sales director Brent Thomas says they will get a slightly longer holiday than they expected, because links between hotels and the airports are out of action.
He says there is no danger to people who are stranded, they will just have to sit it out until the weather clears.
However, once it does there will be a backlog of people at the airport waiting to get home, so there could be more waiting. Air New Zealand says flights are getting away from Nadi on schedule at the moment.
New Zealand Foreign Affairs officials say they are keeping a close eye on the situation. A spokeswoman says the High Commission in Fiji is operating, but so far there have been no calls from New Zealanders needing assistance.
ONE News would like to hear from anyone who has friends or relatives holidaying in Fiji. Contact us at news@tvnz.co.nz
