Dozen Killed In Australian Cyclone

This is according to a report by the United Nations agencies who have stressed that the disaster ranks the worst in Pacific history.

Pam has brought winds of up to 270km/h (170mph) and torrential rain.

According to Tom Skirrow of save the children, houses in the capital Port Vila have been destroyed leaving people wander the city helplessly.

According to witnesses, it’s still quite dangerous outside and most people are still hunkering down.

Sources have said that the damage is quite extensive in Port Vila following many more vulnerable islands.

"The scene here this morning is complete devastation – houses are destroyed, trees are down, roads are blocked and people are wandering the streets looking for help,’ said Mr Skirrow

"Communications are down across much of the country with the total extent of the devastation unlikely to be known for several days."

WEATHER DISASTERS

Unicef spokeswoman Alice Clements has described the cyclone as 15-30 minutes of absolute terror as it passed over Port Vila.

"I saw the sliding doors from my three-storey-hotel room completely blow away – it was terrifying," she said.

Unicef in New Zealand has warned that Cyclone Pam could be one of the worst ever weather disasters for the region.

"While it is too early to say for certain, early reports are indicating that this weather disaster could potentially be one of the worst in Pacific history," New Zealand executive director Vivien Maidaborn said in a statement.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said he feared the damage and destruction could be widespread.

"We hope the loss of life will be minimal,'' he said during a World Conference on Disaster Risk and Reduction in Japan.

FLOODS, LANDSLIDES AND SEA SURGES

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has said that the country was preparing to send a crisis response team to Vanuatu if needed.

"There are destructive winds, rain, flooding, landslides, sea surges and very rough seas and the storm is exceedingly destructive there,'' she said.

"We are still assessing the situation, but we stand ready to assist.''

Located about a quarter of the way from Australia to Hawaii, Vanuatu has a population of 267,000 spread over 65 islands. About 47,000 people live in the capital, Port Vila.

Pam, a category five tropical storm, had already caused major damage on other Pacific islands, including Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.

Tuvalu, a group of nine tiny islands north-east of Vanuatu, has also declared a state of emergency after the cyclone caused flash floods there.

by Musalia Wycliffe

source: BBC News.