18 dead after cyclone slams into Fiji

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The death toll from a ferocious cyclone which tore through Fiji over the weekend has risen to 18 as authorities on Monday began to get a grasp on the scale of the disaster and deploy aid to hard-hit outer islands.

Authorities were still having trouble communicating with some islands, including places like Koro Island which suffered some of the worst damage. And more than 6 000 residents across Fiji were staying in emergency shelters after their homes were broken or swamped.

Winds from Cyclone Winston reached 285km/h, making it the strongest storm in the Southern Hemisphere since record-keeping began, according to the Weather Underground website.

Getting emergency supplies to the group's far-flung islands and remote communities was the government's top priority said Ewan Perrin, Fiji's permanent secretary for communications. Home to 900 000 people, Fiji has more than 100 inhabited islands.