An elderly man on Kadavu is the first fatality recorded from Tropical Cyclone Harold, the National Disaster Management Office reported this hour.

The Fiji Police Force said a 12-year-old boy has been evacuated to Suva where he will get medical attention for serious injuries sustained during the cyclone. 

While reporting on the fatality, director NDMO Vasiti Soko said the elderly man had been trying to escape from his farmhouse in Namajiu village, Kadavu when he was killed. 

Meanwhile after the Initial Damage Assessment in the Eastern Division, the NDMO recorded a total of 244 houses destroyed while 203 were damaged.

In the Central Division 94 houses were destroyed while 242 were damaged.

Damage assessment in the Western Division and Vatulele continues although the assessment in the Northern has just been completed. 

“Due to the current lockdown in Suva, we will not send any first respondents from Suva hence why we are releasing our teams outside Suva,” Soko said.

“We currently finalizing the response and early recovery plans.”