Cyclone destroys Parliament House, homes on Tonga, Fiji next
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The Pacific nation of Tonga began cleaning up damage Tuesday from a cyclone that destroyed its Parliament House, as well as homes and churches, and was intensifying as it headed toward nearby Fiji.
Cyclone Gita caused power outages after tearing through the island nation just south of the capital, Nuku’alofa, with winds exceeding 200 kilometres per hour (124 miles per hour) at landfall. Some 5,000 people stayed in evacuation centres overnight, according to officials, and an emergency was declared. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries or deaths.
The cyclone was intensifying and was forecast to hit some southern Fiji islands Tuesday night, though it’s likely to miss Fiji’s major population centres, including the capital, Suva.
In Tonga, publisher Pesi Fonua said fallen trees were littering the landscape and their absence was opening up new vistas. He said many homes had lost their roofs or were otherwise badly damaged. Many people had endured a terrifying night and were glad to be alive, he added.