Cyclone Winston: Fiji declares state of tural disaster

Suva, Feb 20: Fiji declared a state of tural disaster on Saturday as severe tropical cyclone Winston hit the South Pacific island country, a media report said. The declaration is effective for 30 days starting from Saturday, Xinhua quoted permanent secretary for rural and maritime development and tiol disaster magement as saying.

“As your tiol disaster and controller who will be responsible for this operations and together with the Disaster Magement Committee (DISMAC) machinery, we will do our best to maintain and uphold the interest of Fiji,” the official said. Meanwhile, a tionwide curfew was imposed from 6 p.m. till further notice. Although no immediate casualties or damage were reported, the police kept monitoring the situation closely. Power supplies to parts of Fiji including the capital of Suva had been cut as Winston, now a category five tropical cyclone — the highest possible level — swept through the Pacific island country. (IANS)