A powerful tropical cyclone battered the South Pacific island nation of Fiji on Wednesday, witnesses said, destroying buildings and causing injuries in the capital Suva.
Emer McCarthy reports.
Category five tropical cyclone Harold battered the South Pacific island of Fiji on Wednesday (April 8) Destroying buildings and causing injuries in the country's capital, Suva In a video message, the country's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama called for Fijians to stay indoors.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) FIJI PRIME MINISTER SAYING IN A VIDEO MESSAGE, ''Everyone needs to immediately shelter indoors in their homes or in evacuation centres.
There are also a number of reports of winds whipping up flying debris in the Suva area.
Flying debris can be deadly.
Keep yourself indoors and out of harm's way until our authorities have given the all clear that it is safe to be outdoors.
As we see flooding throughout the country, I'm pleading with everyone to stay out of flood waters.
Keep your children out of flood waters.
These waters are deadly, unpredictable, and can carry debris that can maim or kill.
Stay indoors.
Do not travel.
Stay safe, Fiji." Forecasters say the cyclone, which killed dozens of people in the Solomon Islands before destroying buildings in Vanuatu-- is expected to make its way to Tonga within days.
NASA rendered a 3D model of Tropical Cyclone Harold, which briefly became Category 5, as it made landfall on the South Pacific..