SUVA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Samoa declared a state of disaster on Saturday after a tropical cyclone hit the South Pacific island state, causing extensive damages but no casualties.
According to the Chinese embassy in Apia, capital of Samoa, cyclone Gita slammed the country from Friday night to Saturday afternoon, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and flooding to most parts of the island nation.
Trees were uprooted, roads were blocked or destroyed, water and power services had been cut and the internet service is out of work.
A Chinese embassy official told Xinhua that to help local Samoans track the progress of the cyclone threatening the country, the embassy presented 50 radios to a village near the capital city. The village chiefs thanked China for their timely assistance.
Authorities warned on Saturday that Gita might be slowly moving away from Samoa but the danger is far from over. The residents were urged to remain vigilant and stay indoors and not to drive around Apia town area or near bridges and rivers.
According to Samoa Observer, the state's newspaper, cyclone Gita also ripped through American Samoa, damaging roads and causing floodings. Businesses and schools were shut down and about 200 people had been staying in evacuation centers.