Fiji Lashed by New Rains After Tropical Storms Kill 8 People

(Bloomberg) -- Rains lashed Fiji and more downpours are forecast after tropical storms caused flash floods and left eight people dead in the South Pacific island nation.

The population is “strongly advised” to stock up on food, water and other essential items, said Pajiliai Dobui, principal officer of the National Disaster Management Office.

“People should not be passive about these warnings,” he said late yesterday in a statement on the government’s Web site.

Fiji earlier this week declared a state of emergency in its western regions after storms caused rivers to burst their banks, inundating towns and rivers. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes.

The weather has been compounded by high tides causing many low lying areas to rapidly flood, Dobui said. “People must not underestimate the situation,” he added.

The South Pacific island chain of 930,000 people was hit by storms and rain late last week with Nadi, site of the nation’s international airport, worst hit by the flashfloods.

The government has warned of a high risk of water borne diseases, such as diarrhea, typhoid and dengue fever and urged people to boil all drinking water.

Damage to Fiji’s sugar industry, the nation’s second- largest after tourism, may run into tens of millions of dollars, Fijilive reported, citing the chief executive of the country’s Sugar Cane Growers Council.

“Should the fields remain water-logged, this will compound the damage,” the online newspaper cited Surendra Sharma as saying. “If strong winds strike, this could result in cane tops snapping and if this happens, the crop is a total write-off.”

Australian Aid

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said yesterday the government will provide A$150,000 ($100,000) to the Fiji Red Cross and to the Fiji government’s emergency management authority to help deal with the floods.

Australia is ready to provide more assistance if requested, Smith said.

Fiji is a 332-island archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean, about 3,240 kilometers (2,013 miles) northeast of Australia. The cyclone season in the region runs from November to April and storms sometimes result in flooding and landslides.