Cyclone Josie kills four; one missing

SUVA: Police in Fiji were yesterday searching for a 19yearold man washed away by floodwaters in Sabeto, Nadi.

Heavy rain and strong winds associated with Tropical Cyclone Josie, a category 1 storm, caused major flooding in parts of the country.

Police confirmed five people had been washed away by floodwaters and they have retrieved four bodies.

A woman’s body was found in Vatulaulau in Ba, a 55yearold man was found dead in Lautoka and the bodies of two people were found in Uciwai, Nadi.

National Disaster Management director Anare Leweniqila said several evacuation centres were set up in the Western Division.

Fiji Electricity Authority chief executive Hasmukh Patel told the Fiji Broadcast Corporation residents in Ba, Tavua and Rakiraki were without power.

‘‘A few areas in the Central Division are also without power and a team is trying to find out the reason for the outage,’’ he said.

Areas from Matanivusi in Sigatoka to Rakiraki were badly affected by flooding, he said.

However, power had been restored in parts of Lautoka, Nadi and Sigatoka.

Patel said power was still on in Vanua Levu.

The Fiji Weather Office said in the 24 hours to 9am yesterday, Nadi, Nausori, Lautoka, Sigatoka, Rakiraki, Tavu and Labasa recorded more than 55mm of rain.

Twentyone roads in the Central Division, 47 in the Western Division and two in the Northern Division are closed and impassable.

The Fiji Roads Authority said all roads in the Eastern Division were open.