Cyclone Pam wreaks havoc in Port Vila

Homes destroyed by cyclone PAM in Vanuatu
Photo: Isso Nihmei 350 Vanuatu Coordinator

Whole villages in Vanuatu are reported to have been blown away by Cyclone Pam, with unconfirmed deaths being put at 44.

Six deaths have been confirmed in Port Vila, home to about 40,000 people, but aid agencies say the death toll is likely to climb.

The official death toll stands at six, but authorities say it is likely to be significantly higher.

The worst cyclone in 12 years has left devastation in the capital, with disaster officials saying 80 per cent of the houses have been seriously damaged.

Government offices and other infrastructure have been destroyed, along with part of the main Vila Central Hospital.

Tom Skirrow, of Save the Children, said people were wandering the streets looking for help.

How bad things are in the northern islands is not known because all communications have been cut.

And there is no contact with Tanna island in the south which the cyclone is pounding now. Twenty thousand people live on Tanna.

Emergency services in Vanuatu are preparing to mount a massive search and rescue operation in the aftermath of Cyclone Pam.

Spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Office, Mishaen Lulu Garae, said the capital Port Vila had been completely destroyed.

He said communication with the northern provinces was impossible, but he assumed the area was devastated and it could take days to get damage assessments from those areas.

Vanuatu's council of ministers held an emergency meeting this afternoon and international assistance is likely to be requested.

Meanwhile,Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has sent the country's  condolences to the people of Vanuatu for the lose of lives. 

Source: Radio New Zealand International