By DPA,
Wellington : Noumea, capital of the French Pacific territory New Caledonia, was put on red alert Friday as Tropical Cyclone Vania headed for the region after battering the Loyalty Islands, about 300 km to the north, Radio New Zealand International reported.
Under the warning, businesses, schools and Noumea’s international airport were closed and everyone was ordered to remain indoors until the cyclone, the first of the season in the South Pacific, passes.
Vania was already reported to have caused extensive damage in Vanuatu, and forecasters said it could hit parts of New Zealand next week.
New Caledonia was also hit by a magnitude-7 earthquake early Friday. There were no reports of damage or casualties although Radio New Zealand said an 11-year-boy had died from a heart attack that was possibly related to the tremor.
No Pacific tsunami alert was declared.