[Source: Fiji Police Force/Facebook]

The National Disaster Management Office is working to assess the impact of the recent floods and determine when schools can reopen and non-essential employee can return to work.

Director Vasiti Soko highlighted this following a meeting with the Emergency Committee earlier today.

“With regards to the Ministry of Education and Civil Service, these are two ministries that we are currently assessing as we speak with regards to resumption of both school and civil service. And as we speak we are still collecting data from the district level and as of when we are able to firm up the information from district level through the divisional commissioners who will be able to advice members of the general public with regards to resumption of both civil service and school.”

Soko says they are assessing the situation as more rain is expected in the country.

She says they also had a briefing with the Fiji Metrological Services who have confirmed that heavy rain warning remains in force fore whole of Fiji, rain to continue until Friday and with the soil already saturated there is high risk of flash flooding.

Soko says the Emergency Committee are currently monitoring the high risk areas.

The Director says over the past 24hours they have received reports of flash flooding, landslide particularly in the Central division and road closures in the Western and Northern division due to flooding.

“We are also receiving regular updates from Fiji Police Force with regards to the deployment of assistance to the ground and I am also here to advise that there was zero reports of flood related injuries or causality.”

Soko says they will also carry out initial and detailed assessment and will focus on restoration of critical services.

“We will deploy initial damage assessment and detailed damage assessment as of when roads are clear to ensure that not only are we looking at our vulnerable ones in the evacuation center but members of the society , our farmers who are also being affected because of flood waters.”

She adds that 60 people are currently taking shelter at two evacuation centers in the Central and Western division.

Soko says they will also conduct disinfection of schools used as evacuation centers.