7 Jan 2013

Power to be back on in Fiji's West with 10 days

6:11 am on 7 January 2013

The National Disaster Management Office in Fiji says the Electricity Authority thinks power should be fully restored in the Western division in the next 5 to 10 days.

The Office says power has nearly been fully restored in the Northern, Central and Eastern divisions.

But in the Western division, which was the worst affected by tropical cyclone Evan, only 79 percent of power has been restored.

The director of the National Disaster Management Office, Manasa Tagicakibau, says

progress has been slow in areas due to fallen power lines in remote areas.

"Our power authority has mobilsed teams from the other divisons to go and assist the technical teams in the west."

In Nadi, power is back on within the town's central business district.

But the CEO of the Nadi town council says that within the periphery and outskirts of the town boundary, it has been slow as many big trees were blown down by Evan bringing down power lines.

Nemia Tagi says he believes it is going to take some weeks before power is fully restored in those areas.