Surrey’s Fijian community is trying to find any news about their homeland after Cyclone Winston slammed into the country this weekend — leaving behind a path of destruction.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Suman Prakash. He and others have been glued to social media since Friday night, waiting anxiously for news from Fiji.
“All roads are shut down. There is absolutely no electricity. There is absolutely no water and all roads are full of fallen trees, fallen power lines,” said Prakash.
READ MORE: Fiji begins assessing damage after ferocious cyclone
Prakash said his relatives and his friends’ relatives are safe. Hemendra Prasad said his family endured a sleepless night as the storm ravaged the island. Now, they’re bracing for difficult days ahead.
“They said it’s hard to see because they don’t have a place to sleep. They didn’t sleep last night, they stayed up whole night to get the water out,” said Prasad, adding the roof of his family’s house blew away.
The damage is widespread and the death toll is slowly climbing–raising from five initially to 17 by Sunday evening. According to Weather Underground, Winston is the strongest cyclone ever seen in the southern Hemisphere, with wind speeds topping 285 kilometers per hour.
Reports indicate the nation’s capital, Suva, was not hit hard but there are concerns for those in the northern part of the main island and on the smaller islands.
A 30-day state of natural disaster is in effect.
“For those of you who have lost your homes, your livelihoods or are cut off from essential services, it is hard to imagine a better future, but that future will come. We will reclaim what we have lost,” said Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama in a video posted on YouTube the day after the storm made landfall.
Fiji’s Tourism Minister says tourists are safe and that there was no significant damage to most hotels on the main island.
Still, Global Affairs is warning Canadians against travel to the popular destination.
Anyone wanting to make a donation can do so through the Red Cross.
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