Trail of destruction after Cyclone Evan hits Fiji

SUVA (AFP) - Tropical Cyclone Evan left a swathe of destruction across Fiji on Tuesday after battering the Pacific nation for more than 12 hours, destroying homes, flooding rivers and stranding thousands of tourists.

Despite the damage, officials reported no fatalities as the storm headed out to sea early on Tuesday and was downgraded a notch to category three.

Western parts of the main island Viti Levu bore the brunt of the cyclone's fury overnight, with the Fiji Times describing the township of Lautoka as a "war zone".

Witnesses said entire houses were blown away by the ferocious winds, leaving stunned residents to clean up debris from empty lots after they returned from evacuation centres.

A house is seen as strong waves caused by Cyclone Evan wash a beach in Queen Elizabeth Drive, in Suva in this handout picture taken on Dec 17, 2012. Tropical Cyclone Evan left a swathe of destruction across Fiji on Tuesday after battering the Pacific nation for more than 12 hours, destroying homes, flooding rivers and stranding thousands of tourists. -- PHOTO: REUTERS