SUVA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Two people have died in Fiji after the category 5 tropical cyclone Yasa hit the island nation since Thursday.
Fiji's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama confirmed on Friday that tropical cyclone Yasa has claimed the life of a 3-month-old baby in the western part of the nation and a 45-year-old farmer near Labasa, capital of Fiji's second largest island of Vanua Levu.
The prime minister said that fatalities by the cyclone is expected to rise.
According to Fiji's National Disaster Management Office on Friday, the farmer near Labasa died after a portion of his house collapsed at the height of tropical cyclone Yasa on Thursday night. He was crushed underneath a wall while his elder son also suffered injuries. The details about the death of the baby is still unknown.
Tropical cyclone Yasa has caused extensive damages to Fiji, especially in the northern island of Vanua Levu. The prime minister warned on Friday that the cyclone damage bill is in the hundreds of millions Fijian dollars.
According to local media reports, in Vanua Levu, houses were fully destroyed with roofs being blown away, schools were damaged, power lines fell on roads, trees were also uprooted due to the cyclone.
In Viti Levu, Fiji's main island where the capital city of Suva is located, an unplanned power outage occurred on Thursday but some areas are still without power on Friday.
Meanwhile a tropical cyclone Yasa curfew will be imposed in Vanua Levu starting at 5:00 p.m. local Time on Friday until 6:00 a.m. local time on Saturday.
For other parts of Fiji, the curfew will kick in from 8:00 p.m.local time on Friday until 5:00 a.m. local time on Saturday.
Fiji's Acting Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has requested members of the public to take heed of the advisories and necessary safety precautions to avoid loss of life.
On Thursday, Fiji declared a 30-day state of natural disaster as category 5 tropical cyclone Yasa hit the island nation.
The Fiji Metrological Service said on Friday that tropical cyclone Yasa has now downgraded to a category 3 system on Friday and continues to weaken. Close to its center the cyclone is expected to have average winds up to 120 kilometers per hour with momentary gusts to 170 kilometers per hour.
Currently, tropical cyclone Yasa is moving southeast at about 18 kilometers per hour and is expected to exit Fiji waters on Friday midnight or Saturday morning, but the southeastern parts of the nation will still be affected by the cyclone before its exit.
The tropical cyclone season in the South Pacific region runs between November and April every year and Fiji is expected to experience up to three tropical cyclones during the 2020/2021 cyclone season.
In 2016, Fiji experienced tropical cyclone Winson, which killed 44 people and caused extensive damage to the nation. Enditem
