Residents of southern Vanuatu are sheltering in caves as the most powerful cyclone in years batters the archipelago.
Category five cyclone Pam hit the South Pacific island chain on Friday bringing flooding, high seas, and winds in excess of 250km/h.
The centre of the storm passed the capital, Port Vila, overnight, and was reportedly moving south at about 25km/h on Saturday morning.
There are unconfirmed reports of 44 deaths in the northeast Penama Province, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.
On the southern island of Erromango, directly in the cyclone's path, locals have reportedly taken shelter in caves, sources told Aurelia Balpe, head of the Red Cross Pacific office in Fiji.
"It's a traditional coping strategy for people in Vanuatu," she said from Suva.
She said the government and aid agencies had worked hard to get people into shelters such as schools and churches as the storm approached.
"But I think there are going to be some bad stories. We're very worried about those people who didn't make it to evacuation shelters."
Communications remain down across much of the country, posing difficulties for relief efforts.
Share
