Fiji declares disaster as Cyclone Tomas destroys homes and crops

clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Fiji has declared a state of disaster in the country's cyclone-hit north and east as reports of storm damage rose sharply and authorities warned that the death toll could rise. The National Disaster Council, led by military leader and self-appointed prime minister Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama, met as the category four Cyclone Tomas continued to batter the South Pacific nation. "The National Disaster Council has declared a state of disaster in the northern division and eastern division," National Disaster Management Office operations officer Anthony Blake said. "I think some lost their lives but it is just a few but what we have been hearing from some of the islands is the devastation and the wind and the storm surges were too much. More than 1000 people have evacuated their homes as the storm damaged buildings and crops and cut communications and power, while many low-lying areas were flooded.

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