Police urge residents to ‘move to higher ground’ as floods hit Fiji

Fiji police are advising residents of flood-prone areas to move to higher ground as heavy rain continues. Photo / Fiji Police Facebook

By RNZ

• Fiji police urge residents in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground due to flooding.
• Assistant Commissioner Livai Driu warns of continuous rain and risks of moving at night.
• Nadi Town is flooded and impassable; multiple roads in the Western Division are closed.

Fiji police say those living in flood-prone areas in the Western Division should move to higher ground because of flooding.

The police put the statement on social media just after 4pm, local time.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations Livai Driu said continuous rain from the morning has led to flooding in some areas.

“For precautionary measures, we are urging people to move to higher ground now or to an evacuation centre,” he said.

“People need to move now before it gets dark. Moving at night will be a big risk for them and for our officers on the ground.”

He said teams are on standby at police stations and they will assist with moving people to higher ground.

The Western Division Command and Coordination Centre can be contacted on 9905457 should anyone need assistance in moving to higher ground.

Meanwhile, the Fiji Roads Authority said about the same time that Nadi Town was flooded and impassable to all traffic.

Police teams are on standby to assist with moving people to higher ground after flooding in the Western Division. Photo / Fiji Police Facebook

Multiple other roads in the Western Division were closed, or partially closed – meaning they were only accessible with a four-wheel drive vehicle.

The country’s National Disaster Risk Management Office advised communities to continue taking necessary precautions to ensure safety, as another active trough of low pressure was expected to approach Fiji from the west on Boxing Day.

It said it had received reports of flash flooding and landslips.

A heavy rain warning was in force for the whole Fiji group from the MetService. The alert was due to be updated late in the evening of Christmas Day.

The MetService said 130mm of rain fell in the 24 hours from 3pm Christmas Eve to 3pm Christmas Day at Nadarivatu.

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