A father-of-three children in Veiseseyavula, Bua, described Cyclone Yasa as a monster after it completely destroyed his house.

Dharmen Rattan, 46, said on Thursday midnight the strong wind gripped his house and broke everything into pieces.

“My wife and two children never thought that this cyclone would take the roof out,” Mr Rattan said.

“We held onto the door post with fear.”

When they realised that they couldn’t stay for long they ran into the bathroom and toilet.

“Later, we ran to our neighbours’ house for shelter,” he said.

“We exhausted all our energy and effort trying to save belongings but later decided that lives were more important.”

Mr Rattan had only started working for two weeks after he got his new job as a truck driver.

“My eldest son studying at the University of the South Pacific is onto his third year. My second child had just completed Year 13 and the youngest completed Year 11,” he said.

“My wife is not working.”

He said that they do not know where to begin from to rebuild their lives.

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