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SUVA: Fiji started counting the cost on Wednesday of a cyclone that killed at least three people and wrought havoc across the South Pacific nation, officials said.
Cyclone Mick, the first of the summer cyclone season in the region, swept over the main island of Viti Levu on Monday, forcing thousands of people from their homes and causing widespread flooding that devastated crops.
The flooding receded in most areas on Tuesday, allowing the majority of the 3,800 people who had been evacuated to return home, as authorities battled to restore power and water supplies.
But the Rewa River delta to the east of the capital Suva flooded on Tuesday, forcing around another 2,000 people into emergency shelters and closing Suva's airport until Wednesday morning, the Disaster Management Office said.
The agriculture sector was the hardest hit by the cyclone, which packed winds of up to 150 kilometres (93 miles) an hour, central bank governor Sada Reddy said.
"Initial reports suggest that while no significant damage has been caused to infrastructure, the agricultural sector has suffered major damage especially to food crops," Reddy said.
One man was confirmed dead on Monday when a tree fell on him and two others were reported to have been swept away by swollen rivers, although their bodies had not been found. Two fishermen had also been reported missing.
Cyclone Mick had weakened into a tropical depression by Wednesday, causing rain and windy conditions in Tonga, to the southeast of Fiji.
- AFP/so
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