"Relief Teams Report Devastation, Death After Vanuatu Cyclone"

"WELLINGTON/SYDNEY -- Reports from the outer islands of Vanuatu on Monday painted a picture of utter destruction after a monster cyclone tore through the South Pacific island nation, flattening buildings and killing at least eight people.

Disaster management officials and relief workers were struggling to establish contact with the islands that bore the brunt of Cyclone Pam's winds of more than 300 kph (185 mph), which destroyed homes, smashed boats and washed away roads and bridges as it struck late on Friday and into Saturday.

The official toll of eight killed and 20 injured looked certain to rise as reports began to trickle from the hardest hit parts of the scattered archipelago."

Gyles Beckford and Lincoln Feast report for Reuters March 16, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"UN Head Urges Better Safeguards for Climate Disasters" (AP)

"Cyclone Pam: Vanuatu's President Blames Climate Change for Extreme Weather" (Guardian)

"Aid Workers Scramble To Help Cyclone Pam Victims in Vanuatu" (CNN)

"Vanuatu Cyclone Pam: President Appeals for "Immediate" Help" (BBC News)

"UN Disaster Meeting Opens in Tsunami-Hit Japan" (AFP)

"Aid Effort Stepped Up After Monster Vanuatu Cyclone" (AFP)

"Officials Blame Climate Change as Vanuatu Picks Up the Pieces After ‘Monster’ Storm" (Washington Post)

"Ban Highlights Climate Risks as Vanuatu Counts Dead From Cyclone Pam" (Deutsche Welle)

"As Vanuatu Suffers, More Urgency Needed on Climate" (AFP)