TC Winston death toll now 21

There are 21 confirmed deaths due to Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston while 4 people are missing. 

The official death toll may rise further as Police are still trying to get confirmation on some missing persons reports.

National Disaster Management Office Director Akapusi Tuifagalele says there are currently 8,438 people living in different evacuation centers around the country. 

Tuifagalele says there are 1,177 people taking shelter in nine evacuation centers in the Central Division, 121 in the Eastern Division, 1,260 people are in 22 evacuation centers in the Northern Division while there are 5,880 people in the evacuation centers in the Western Division. 

He says two boats have been deployed to Koro Island as it is one of the worst affected areas.

He adds the boats will carry one month worth of food rations for the people.            

Tuifagalele says all schools will be closed for one week and after the assessments have been done on all major damage in different schools, the government will confirm if the schools will remain closed for a longer period of time. 

He says they can confirm that the total damage done to schools in the Western Division is about $2.2 million 

Tuifagalele adds they are also expecting to receive two helicopters from the Australian government later this week which will help them deliver assistance in different locations. 

LEND A HELPING HAND: 

The government is currently working hard to coordinate rescue and recovery efforts, and there is a great need for additional resources to urgently address the needs of affected Fijians and assist in the rebuilding process. 
 
All Fijians are urged to assist in the relief efforts after the worst cyclone to hit the Southern Hemisphere.

Many have been stranded in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston and urgently require life saving services, supplies and shelter.

The Fijian Government has established bank accounts to receive financial donations in the wake of this crisis. 

These funds will be used to directly benefit those Fijians who have been left homeless, without adequate food, water and essential services – especially those in rural and maritime communities. 
 
Donations can be made through bank accounts and donors will not be charged any fees, including overseas transactions. 

International and local donations can be made through the following account:
 
Bank:                    Australia New Zealand Banking Corporation 
Account Number: 12628523
 
Account Name:     Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation: Cyclone Winston
Swift Code:           ANZ BFJFX
BSB:                     010 890

Local donations can be made through the following accounts: 
 
Bank:                    Westpac Banking Corporation
Account Number:  9806094927
Account Name:     Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation: Cyclone Winston
 
Bank:                    Bank of the South Pacific
Account Number:  80399804
Account Name:     Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation: Cyclone Winston
 
Bank:                    Home Finance Corporation Bank
Account Number:  17822 s10
Account Name:     Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation: Cyclone Winston
 
Please give generously to your fellow Fijians during this difficult time through any of the accounts. Every dollar donated will make a difference for the Fijian Government’s continued work helping all affected Fijians recover from this tragedy. 
 
FLOOD ALERT

A flood alert remains in force for all low lying areas at the Rewa Bridge station and areas adjacent to Nausori town, Navolau station downstream along the upper Rewa River and Wailotua station downstream to the Wainibuka River.

All these river levels are above the alert levels.

FLOODING:

Koronivia and Lokia roads are still closed due to rising flood waters.

Our reporter on the ground, Roneel Narayan says Koronivia road from Ram Pati Shop and Lokia road are closed.

Narayan says people are still taking shelter at LDS church in Lokia.

Heavy rain continues in these areas.

Meanwhile, flood waters at Waila and Vuci South road have receded and the roads are open.

 ROADS:

Fiji Roads Authority’s maintenance contractors have been instructed to start mobilizing and commence repair works for the Yaqara Bridge between Tavua and Rakiraki. 

Yaqara Bridge was washed out during Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston.

The Fiji Roads Authority says repair works may take two to three days.  

Queens Highway is open to all traffic.
 
POWER 

Power has been restored in parts of Labasa, Savusavu, Levuka, Sigatoka, Nadi, Lautoka, Suva, Lami, Wailekutu, Nasinu, Navua and Pacific Harbour.

FEA wishes to remind the public to treat all broken power lines as live and to exercise appropriate precaution by staying away and keeping others away from all broken power lines. 

Do not touch any FEA line on the ground.

FEA CEO Hasmukh Patel and a team of engineers were able to take a helicopter ride to patrol and inspect the 132,000 Volts transmission line and the sub transmission lines in the Western Division. 

FEA says as anticipated, damages to the power network is extensive. 

They have three steel transmission towers that are damaged. 

Two fallen towers on the Nadarivatu line has cut off supply from the Nadarivatu Hydro Power Scheme.

Similarly, there is a fallen tower on the Wailoa to Vuda transmission line which has cut off supply from the Wailoa Power Station to the Western Division. 

Repair works will commence from today. 

It is anticipated that these repair works would take up to three weeks. 

On a positive note, the transmission line from Wailoa to Cunningham is intact and has been brought into service. 

This means additional generation capacity for the Central Division. 

The power line that transports power from Vuda towards Ba, Tavua and Rakiraki has been affected. 

Twelve out of the two hundred and ninety six poles are down on this line. 

Repair works will start today.

AIRPORTS:

All Fiji Airways flights will resume from today.

The Nadi International Airport and Nausori Airport are both fully operational. 

AFL says the Nadi Control Tower was operational throughout the cyclone managing Flight Information Region; allowing medivac and emergency flights from Sunday. 

As of now, Labasa and Rotuma are also fully operational while the Matei, Gau and Kadavu runways and the Savusavu Airport are cleared for landing.

COMMUNICATIONS

As recovery efforts are now underway in Fiji, Digicel has made solid progress in restoring its network enabling customers to make and receive calls, text messages and emails.

The Digicel network has been restored in Navua, Serua, Korolevu, Sigatoka, Nadi, Lautoka and Nausori, and teams are now focusing on connecting the rest of Fiji. The network in Suva stayed up throughout the disaster.

Digicel Fiji’s Head of Marketing, Sheryl Singh says they are deeply saddened and concerned by the destruction caused by Tropical Cyclone Winston that hit Fiji on Saturday and the devastation it has left behind. 

She says they know that at this time, communication is of utmost importance as families and loved ones stay connected with those across the islands and abroad and they are working tirelessly to enable customers to do so.

Devastation Report:

Winston has been rated as the most powerful cyclone to hit the Southern Hemisphere.

As earlier announced, Winston has left a massive trail of destruction with many homes destroyed in Tailevu, Rakiraki, Tavua, Ba, Lautoka, Savusavu, Taveuni, Ovalau, Koro, Vanuabalavu and nearby areas.

Lomaiviti:

About 40 villagers of Naigani have nothing left after Tropical Cyclone Winston.

Speaking from Batiki Island off Ovalau, Donato Kivi said Winston did not spare any homes in Naigani Village including the church on Saturday morning.

Kivi said the villagers took shelter in the bushes from 6 in the evening till early Sunday morning.

Kivi said men from Naigani village got a tarpaulin for the children as they were all freezing due to strong winds and continuous heavy rain.

He added villagers in Batiki Island and Ovalau are surviving on breadfruit.

The villagers are currently taking shelter at Manuku village.

SAVUSAVU:

People in Savusavu remain stranded as communication lines are still down.

A resident of Savusavu Town Praneeta Devi said they can only receive calls but are not able to dial out.

Devi said many houses are destroyed and roads have been inaccessible due to fallen power lines.

Devi said the wharf is also badly affected.

TAVUA :

Around 30 to 40 houses in Nakaika Settlement in Tavua are destroyed.

Resident Fane Boseiwaqa said most of the families were not able to save their belongings as the strong winds ripped their rooftops and destroyed their houses.

She said it was a frightening experience for all of them as strong winds and heavy rain hit Tavua on Saturday night.

Boseiwaqa said while walking around the settlement today - household items, clothes and food is scattered all over the place.

She said people are now cleaning up their compounds.

Meanwhile, all the homes in Toko, Tavua, have been destroyed by Monster Cyclone Winston.

A resident said that most of the houses have lost their rooftops while small homes have been completely wiped out.

Speaking from Tavua town about Saturday night, Ili Hicks said it was the scariest night of her life.

She said that they live in the town area and about 7 houses have been destroyed.

She added they are now just cleaning their areas and trying to get back on their feet.

RAKIRAKI :

More than 50 families living in Dugapatu, Rakiraki, are in urgent need of medical assistance after they sustained serious injuries during Tropical Cyclone Winston.

A relative Vikash Lal told Fijivillage that a number of adults and children were trapped under the roofs and walls that collapsed due to strong winds.

Lal said a number of people have sustained injures on their hips, hands and legs.

He added that power and communication lines are also affected in the area.

Lal said it is raining and flood waters are rising.

BA :

Ajay Kumar of Viseisei, Lautoka, said most of the houses have been destroyed from Teidamu to Raviravi.

Kumar who is on his way to help his friend in Ba said he has seen people carrying corrugated iron sheets and timber from the fields to rebuild their homes.

A lot of sugar plantations are also damaged.

Hundreds of people living in Ba are currently taking shelter at the evacuation centres after their houses were destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Winston.

People are currently taking shelter at the 10 evacuation centres opened in Ba.

LAUTOKA:

Residents from Balram Singh Road in Lautoka are in urgent need of food.

Fijivillage received information that residents in that area had little to eat over the weekend and now have nothing to eat.

Residents are just surviving on water.

VUDA:

“I will never forget that night for my entire life.”

Those were the words of the traumatized 55-year-old Mataiyasi Vunakece who stayed with his family under their bed after the roof of their house was blown away by Cyclone Winston.

At around 9pm Saturday, Vunakece, his wife and three daughters could not find shelter anywhere else but under their bed.

He said he was worried about his eldest daughter who is eight months pregnant and her 1-year-old son.

Vunakece and his family are now staying with a family in Saweni.

TAVEUNI :

People in the Southern tip of Taveuni are surviving with very little after Tropical Cyclone Winston destroyed about 90% of the houses.

These areas include Ura, Waiba, Waimaqera, Louwalu, Delaivuna, Vuna, Valelevu and Navokowau.

Speaking to Fijivillage, South Taveuni Primary and Secondary School Manager Krishna Reddy sai most of them have no place to take shelter.

Reddy said two shop owners in the area have been giving free food to the people severely affected by the cyclone.

Reddy said they are in need of urgent help from relevant authorities as the situation is expected to get worse in the next few days.

NAITASIRI :

A total of 44 homes have been destroyed in 6 villages in Naitasiri.

These villages are Natirumai, Savurua, Nasama, Navulokani, Korovou and Waisa.

People in these villages are now cleaning up their homes and they are in need of drinking water and food supplies.

TAILEVU: 

Suraj Deo of Nabilo, Tailevu, said he has never experienced anything like Monster Cyclone Winston over the weekend.

Deo said he had experienced Cyclone Kina but this was scarier and dangerous.

He added that his house was badly damaged and he is staying at a neighbor’s home.

He is calling on the government to help them as they do not have food and water.