Although the damage does not ap­pear as severe as tropical cyclone Winston in 2016, it has affected 315 students.

The school's principal, Alosio Saukuru, said they were in desperate need of funds to rebuild so that students could continue their classes normally.

The building that has lost its roof is an old one that was reconstructed after tropical cyclone Winston.

It consists of three Year 9 classrooms, a Year 10 classroom, three Year 12 classrooms and three staff rooms.

Saukuru said the students would now be accom­modated in a newly built classroom block. The building has not been opened officially.

He estimated damage to the building would be between $40,000 to $50,000. He is requesting assistance from relevant authorities.

"We are in need of 187 desks and 162 chairs for the students," he added.

The damage occurred around 5 pm on Tuesday. "We are lucky that no student or teacher was injured at the time of the destruction," said Saukuru.

He said that, despite the damage, they would go ahead with their end-of-term one examination.

St John's ex-scholars representa­tive, Fiona Samuels Kamsoo, said students were safe and have not let the destructive winds of TC Keni affect them as they now concentrat­ed on their exams, which started today and would end next Tuesday.

"As a request by the school prin­cipal, Mr Saukuru, all official messages concerning St John's College are to come only from the ex-scholars and PTFA. With the re­cent events and all sorts of posts on Facebook there has been some con­fusion," she said.

Source

• fijisun.com.fj
• fijitimes.com
• Image: fijisun.com.fj

He said in an interview on Tuesday that they were trying to get the more than 400 students on the next available ship so they may be able to join their families.

Rokoduru said a lot of the damage that was also done to the Old Capital was caused by a tidal wave.

"Part of the sea wall in town has collapsed."

Landmark buildings that had stood over a century and witnessed a number of changes over the years in Levuka have been destroyed.

Businessman and owner of Lomaiviti Studio in Levuka, Mahesh Vithal, said: "We are saddened we have now lost the buildings that made Levuka a National Heritage town and all we have now are memories of those buildings that have stood the test of time.

"It is sad seeing all this building collapse right before our eyes and witnessing how the waves forced its way in to town smashing, damaging and breaking down all our sea wall leaving nothing left but debris of what was once a piece of Levuka Town."

The Morris Hedstrom Hardware, the Old Copra Shed, Lomaiviti Studio, Katudrau Trading and St Vincent De Paul were severely damaged.

Click here to view photographs of damage caused by cyclone Winston.

Source

• fijitimes.com
• fijisun.com.fj
• Image: dailymail.co.uk