1 dead, 2 severely injured during Cyclone Hola in Vanuatu

Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office says there are reports one person in South Pentecost has died during Cyclone Hola and two others severely injured.

The NDMO's Peter Korisa said information remained sketchy and incomplete and he said his organisation had been trying hard to make contact with communities and area councils in the provinces.

He said the weather was still bad in the affected parts of Vanuatu but he hoped it would clear up enough tomorrow to begin an aerial surveillance operation that could take up to a week.

Hola has weakened to a category three storm as it continues to move away from Vanuatu, and is expected to turn to the south-east later today and pose a threat to the Loyalty Islands of New Caledonia.

Source: Radio NZ