‘State of natural disaster’: Deadly Cyclone Winston strikes Fiji islands

Fiji’s South Pacific islands are in emergency lockdown, with all flights in and out of the country suspended, as hurricane force winds from Cyclone Winston batter the nation.

The government has declared a 30-day state of natural disaster over the Category 5 cyclone, believed to be the strongest in history to hit the area.

One fatality has been reported — a man died after a house collapsed on the island of Koro, according to the Fiji Times.