Fijian authorities confirm third death from cyclone disaster

Campbell Cooney, Liv casben

Last Updated: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:23:00 +1100

The death toll from a cyclone that hit Fiji has risen to three after emergency authorities confirmed two more deaths.

The body of a man who disappeared near the northern town of Labasa was recovered by police yesterday.

Another man from the northern island of Rabi was also confirmed dead Friday after a tree fell on his house during the cyclone.

Fiji's National Disaster Management Office says the 49 year old man drowned as he tried to cross a river on the island of Vanua Levu.

It is thought he had been leaving for work to perform essential duties because of the cyclone.

The office says the focus is now on getting ration supplies to the hardest hit islands.

Its acting director, Pajiliai Dobui, says it will be some time before destroyed crops are replenished.

Pajiliai Dobui says the northern parts of the Lau and Lomaiviti island groups were the worst hit.

Earlier a woman drowned at the weekend while trying to save family members caught in pounding waves off the coast of the second largest island Vanua Levu.

PM's visit

Fiji's military leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama will visit Fiji's cyclone disaster area.

With the damage caused by Cyclone Tomas, getting coverage internationally, Commodore Bainimarama is trying to ensure potential visitors, that the country's resorts are unaffected.

Fiji's military backed interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama will make his first visit to the cyclone disaster area today.

But with the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Tomas making news around the world, in an interview on Radio Tarana in New Zealand, he was keen to stress that the country's biggest income earner, tourism, had not been affected.

"Tourism is not affected at all," he said.

"There may be a couple of hotels up in Savu Savu area that have some power problems, otherwise everything's ok."

The first Fiji Navy ship carrying supplies, medical teams and assessors have started arriving in the Northern Provinces.

Over 17,000 people were forced into emergency shelter by the cyclone.

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