Tropical Cyclone Pam reportedly claimed at least five lives Saturday in the South Pacific and the toll was feared to climb from one of the strongest such storms on record. The cyclone ripped its way through an area dotted with islands, bringing powerful winds, heavy rain and rough seas. Vanuatu Island appeared to be hardest hit as the cyclone was slowly tracking south-south-east towards New Zealand. Four people died in the capital Port Vila, according to 350 climate action group coordinator Isso Nihmei. One person was killed in Papua New Guinea when a tree fell on a house during strong winds caused by the tropical cyclone, dpa reported. The United Nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs relayed unconfirmed reports that 44 people had died in Vanuatu's north-eastern Penama province. The storm intensified to a Category 5 system Friday as it swept into Vanuatu with winds estimated in excess of 230 kilometers per hour, the island nation's Meteorological Services said.
