State of emergency declared after Fiji cyclone

A state of emergency has been declared in Fiji after a massive cyclone forced thousands of people to flee their homes.


Cyclone Tomas' onslaught began to weaken on Tuesday, but the scope of destruction is still not clear because communications are still down in some parts. The Government has ordered troops to launch immediate relief operations.


One death has been reported, and a nationwide curfew is still in effect. Fiji's National Disaster Council has declared a 30-day state of emergency for the country's northern and eastern divisions


Packing winds of up to 130 miles per hour near its centre and gusts of up to 175 mph, Cyclone Tomas is continuing to blast through the northern Lau and Lomaiviti island groups.


Sea surges of up to 23 feet have been reported in the Lau island group, which was hit head-on by the cyclone, causing major flooding.