Follow Disaster Advice: Usamate To Risk-Takers
People need to listen to the advisories given by the Meteorological Services of Fiji and the National Disaster Management Officer.
This is what Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and National Disaster Management Jone Usamate said as people were still found swimming in flooded rivers and creeks.
He said as a result of disregarding warnings, two lives had been lost.
A man was washed away while crossing a flooded river in Vunidawa, Naitasiri, and a teenager was caught up in strong currents while swimming in Kadavu.
“There are no laws which say we can penalise people for not adhering to the warnings, but the Police are working on this and they have been taking people to task,” he said.
“It is important that people listen to the advisories.”
Meanwhile, a total 52 evacuation centres are still active around the country with 1624 evacuees.
The NDMO is working with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to do the initial assessment for affected areas before giving the green light for families to return to their homes.
Mr Usamate said with Tropical Cyclone Sarai now slowly moving out of Fiji waters, evacuees were going home.
“We have a few centres in the west closing with the floods receding; in the north there are just a few open and here in the central division we have a subsequent number close,” he said.
“This all depends in the situation. If their homes are not in a condition to live in, if the homes are damaged and they cannot go back, but in the case of floods, as soon as the water starts receding, they should be going back to their homes.”
The NDMO is also assessing places where people have been staying for more than 48 hours and making arrangements for food to be brought in.
All people moving into evacuation centres are supposed to bring with them food supplies to last 48 hours.