Fiji mops up as cyclone moves away

Mar 16, 2010, 22:48 GMT

Wellington - Fiji began mopping up Wednesday as Tropical Cyclone Tomas moved away from the Pacific island state, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

'Fiji is now out of danger,' weather forecaster Matt Boterhoven told the FijiLive news website as schools, banks and government offices reopened for the first time since closing their doors Friday as Tomas approached.

New Zealand, Australia and France sent planes with emergency supplies as damage assessment teams prepared to travel to the worst affected northern and eastern regions, where more than 17,000 people were evacuated to safety as winds topping 200 kilometres an hour battered their homes.

Fiji's military government put two Navy ships on standby to take supplies to small islands, where initial reports said villages had been flattened, power and communications cut and food crops ruined.

International flights to and from Fiji's main airport at Nadi resumed, and Tourism Fiji said a clean-up operation was well under way.

Only one death - a woman swept out to sea by huge waves - was reported, but authorities said it could be a couple of days before a full assessment of damage and casualties could be made.