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Friday, March 13, 2015

Cyclone ' Pam ' devastates South Pacific islands of Vanuatu Saturday March 14,2015

 
Cyclone Pam has slammed into the south Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu leaving "complete devastation" in its wake on Saturday March 14,2015

Formerly known as the New Hebrides, Vanuatu was jointly ruled by France and Britain until independence in 1980. It is among the world's poorest countries and is highly prone to natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis and storms


Pam has brought winds of up to 270km/h (170mph) and torrential rain

Located about a quarter of the way from Australia to Hawaii, Vanuatu has a population of 267,000 spread over 65 islands. About 47,000 people live in the capital, Port Vila.

Pam, a category five tropical storm, had already caused major damage on other Pacific islands, including Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.

Tuvalu, a group of nine tiny islands north-east of Vanuatu, has also declared a state of emergency after the cyclone caused flash floods there.

Tom Skirrow, of Save the Children, said houses in the capital Port Vila were destroyed and "people are wandering the streets looking for help".

The UN agencies say dozens may have been killed and the disaster could be one of the worst in Pacific history.

Communications are down across much of the country with the total extent of the devastation unlikely to be known for several days

UNICEF spokeswoman Alice Clements described the cyclone as "15-30 minutes of absolute terror" as it passed over Port Vila

The cyclone whipped up huge waves to batter the coasts of the archipelago
Cyclone Pam batters Port Vila, Vanuatu. 14 March 2015 

Many houses were destroyed around the capital Port Vila
Storm damage in Port Vila, Vanuatu. 14 March 2015  

Many boats moored in Port Vila bore the brunt of the storm
Storm damage in Port Vila, Vanuatu. 14 March 2015  

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