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Fijian family of four killed due to flood-caused landslide

2012-01-26 16:28 Xinhua     Web Editor: Su Jie comment

A Fijian family of four were found dead by a landslide on Thursday after days of continuous heavy rains in the Western Division of the Pacific island nation.

The landslide killed the family of four, including two toddlers, in the remote Tukuraki Village of Ba Province in the country's main Viti Levu (island) on Wednesday.

The bodies of the family of four that were buried in the remote village have been found and the funeral would be held immediately, confirmed a nearby village headman Moape Drikalu, adding the whole family perished.

According to Drikalu, the mother and the youngest daughter, aged one, was first to be found, followed by the elder daughter, 3 years old, before the body of the father was pulled out.

Severe flooding and landslides in Fiji have killed six people in total and left hundreds more homeless.

Fiji's Permanent Secretary of Information Sharon Smith-Johns said Thursday that heavy rain over the last couple of days has forced 3,500 people into temporary shelters.

Some people in the island nation have lost all their possessions, she added.

While the landslide Wednesday killed the family of four, another two farmers also died in separate incidents as they tried to rescue livestock on both the islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

Fiji's Western Division and the main tourist town of Nadi have been worst hit by continuous heavy rains. To date there are 74 evacuation centers open housing 3,463 displaced people.

Smith-Johns said a break in the weather Thursday is giving people hope that the worst is somehow over.

Fiji's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who is currently in the Nadi area and will conduct an extensive tour of the affected areas in coming days, issued a statement saying "emergency services continue to be on full alert to support the affected areas, and the Government is closely monitoring the weather situation as they begin planning recovery.

"Thanks should go to everyone who have worked tirelessly through the last few days to provide assistance during this challenging time, including our generous friends and neighbors," he said, urging the public to "continue to take precaution against the weather and be mindful of the dangers that still exist."

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