Islands Business - Floods, now disease threaten Fiji

SUVA, Fiji (STUFF NZ) ---- Health fears are growing in flood-hit parts of Fiji after three people were admitted to Nadi Hospital after contracting typhoid. The Fiji Broadcasting Corporation said two of those with the disease had been staying at an evacuation centre, while the third had to be brought out of a remote village on horseback. Staff nurse Sereima Koro, an evacuee at the Andrews Primary School centre where two people got sick, said there was a danger of more people becoming ill. Ministry of Health spokesperson Peni Namotu said a close watch was being kept on the situation. “What we can say is that we are doing all we can to provide medical intervention to the people but at the end of the day it’s out of our control.” A state of national disaster has been declared in Fiji’s western districts, where flooding has claimed six lives. Nadi and Ba have been the worst hit with most villages, settlements and suburbs under water. There were fears floodwaters could rise to record heights in the next few days, with Ba special administrator Arun Prasad saying he had never seen anything like it. “This is worse than the flood in 2009 because of the duration and disruption to services and business.” Villagers of Tukaraki, Ba are pleading with the government to help relocate their village following the horrific landslide which killed a family of four on Wednesday. Nalotawa village headman Moape Drikalu said the village was vulnerable to landslides. There had also been landslides in most nearby villages. The family of four were buried yesterday afternoon. The 35-year-old father, 30-year-old mother and their two daughters aged three and one were asleep when the landslide occurred. Fijivillage.com said about 55 per cent of export commodities, including crops and livestock, were estimated to have been damaged in the Western Division. New Zealand has made an initial $350,000 available to help provide immediate aid. As well as the family of four, two farmers were earlier killed trying to rescue stock. Fiji's Disaster Management Office yesterday said a severe flood warning remained in force for major rivers, streams and low-lying areas of Western and Northern Viti Levu. A curfew and movement controls remained in force in Nadi. The 74 evacuation centres were housing 3463 displaced people.