Tonga

THE fury of Cyclone Ofa hit the north ern islands of Tonga on Sunday Febru ary 4. She left one man dead and at least 1000 homeless on the islands of Niuato putapu Niuafo’ou and Tafahi. Damage to infrastructure was estimated to be at least T|4 million. People in those islands could not remember a worse cyclone in half a century. Wind speed reached HOmph. Dead was a fisherman in his forties, Saia Malamala, who drowned as he went out to rescue his two nephews.

He was found dead 300 metres away. □

Destruction: two walls remain of this house at Niuatoputapu in the northern Tonga group.