Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is visiting a remote inland village hit hard by Cyclone Winston.
About 50 families have taken shelter at the evacuation centre in Fiji's remote Nadalei Village. Photo: RNZ / Alex Perrottet
Officials have updated the number of people forced into evacuation centres by the category five tropical cyclone to 59,000 - more than 6 percent of the country's population.
The death toll from Saturday's storm remains at 42, with two people missing.
Nadalei Village is in the remote interior of Fiji's Viti Levu Island, on the Tavua Road past Vatukoula.
One resident, Semi, would have died if his family hadn't found him half buried in the rubble after Cyclone Winston.
Many others, including a 101-year-old man and about 50 families, are sheltering in the village's evacuation centre - the Nadalei Catholic School.
One of the nuns that taught at the village, Sister Kalala, said their convent was totally lost.
"This used to be my room. That's our classroom ... our kitchen and our dining room, all gone."
Mr Bainimarama arrived in the village with a container of food rations provided by Vodafone.
Fiji PM laments a damaged economy. #TCWinston pic.twitter.com/xomhADmcoN
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
School would resume on Monday and residents would be given tents to use as temporary homes, he said.
The entire country was reeling from the storm's impact, he said.
"A couple of weeks [ago], I was talking about the economy, the Fijian economy, that has been going up, been growing ... All that went down the drain in 24 hours when Winston came in."
Across the country, damage from the cyclone has been estimated at over $650 million with officials and aid agencies still to assess damage to remote islands.
Review a selection of RNZI reporter Alex Perrottet's live tweets from Nadalei:
Men in remote Nadalei village. #TCWinston pic.twitter.com/drGzkQMngS
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
Semi was thrown from his house and found in rubble hours later. #TCWinston #Nadalei pic.twitter.com/wAwUcKkXqn
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
Teresia is recovering with 2 of her 3 young children. #TCWinston #Nadalei pic.twitter.com/pqJbH8t5eH
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
The Vodafone team bringing help and 'lots of love' to Nadalei. #TCWinston pic.twitter.com/sBF0L5ySlH
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
Church in Nadalei #TCWinston pic.twitter.com/C6dfHajOJu
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
Vilimoni lost his small shop in #Nadalei village in Fiji's interior. pic.twitter.com/S2ysavW1F3
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
#Nadalei village shop pic.twitter.com/vkfa83tWj0
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
The angels of #TCWinston
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
How did they survive? pic.twitter.com/Wzkb3h6szD
Sister Kalala says 'Look, there is hope! People are rebuilding!' #TCWinston pic.twitter.com/S14gHCgTEB
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
The Nadalei evacuation centre pic.twitter.com/mdMtwosBnI
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
Sister Kalala returns to Nadalei where she used to live. This is the small convent. #TCWinston pic.twitter.com/C32dVANAgv
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
#Fiji PM hears about the water situation in Nadalei village in Fiji's interior. pic.twitter.com/hI235prLcK
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
Frank Bainimarama talks to Sister Kalala about the destroyed convent here and in Bua. #TCWinston pic.twitter.com/AnTIG3shxz
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
#Fiji PM Frank Bainimarama addresses the people of Nadalei. #TCWinston pic.twitter.com/tZaIVvZrD0
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
The PM comes bearing gifts... a container of food rations from Vodafone. #TCWinston pic.twitter.com/4OjJ4wpAQu
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
Relief is here, as well as a Prime Minister, to bring some cheer to Nadalei. pic.twitter.com/5zNlkjtQfB
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
Fiji PM says school will go back Monday and these people will have tents to live in by then. #TCWinston pic.twitter.com/taPwSezrJb
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
Vodafone supplies offloaded in Nadalei. pic.twitter.com/SZRaDpC6j0
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
Fiji PM laments a damaged economy. #TCWinston pic.twitter.com/xomhADmcoN
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
More damage on the Vatakoula Rd at Maingate near the goldmine. #TCWinston. pic.twitter.com/25wZ8va7DP
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
Evening came and morning came, the 6th day, since the biggest storm. #Fiji is still paradise. Please, keep visiting. pic.twitter.com/Z787K9KwSl
— Alex Perrottet (@alexperro) February 26, 2016
