SUVA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The South Pacific Island state Tonga said on Thursday that the state of emergency will continue after the tropical cyclone Gita slammed the country and caused extensive damages on Feb. 12.
Tonga's National Emergency Management Office said on Thursday that the state of emergency will continue to apply until March 12 this year, according to Radio New Zealand.
Fifteen families remain in five evacuation centers after cyclone Gita hit the islands of Tongatapu and 'Eua. Of which, 11 of the families in shelter are on 'Eua which is believed to have got the worst of the storm, the office said.
Electricity services are almost completely restored on Tongatapu while all schools' water tanks on both islands have been purified, the office said, adding that some homes need spraying to control mosquito larvae and the threat of dengue.
After Gita hit Tonga in February, a lot of landmark buildings in the capital city of Nuku'alofa had been severely damaged and Tonga's national radio station was also off air. Power had also been turned off for the 75,000 residents in the capital city.
The island state declared a state of emergency to help prevent or minimize loss of lives, injury, damage to property and the environment for the state's population that stands at 107,122.
Currently, with help from the World Bank, the Tongan government plans to undertake an assessment to quantify the damage caused by the cyclone and provide data for recovery planning.