Tropical Cyclone Pam Claims First Victims in Vanuatu

The tropical cyclone Pam, which hit the South Pacific acrhipelago of Vanuatu, has claimed its first victims.

Houses in the capital Port Vila were destroyed and at least eight people have been confirmed dead, the BBC reports.

The cyclone, which has brought winds of up to 270 kilometres per hour and torrential rain, has destroyed entire villages.

UNICEF in New Zealand warned that the cyclone could be one of the worst natural disasters to have ever hit the region.

According to unconfirmed reports of the UN's Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Assistance, 44 people died in Penama province in northeast Vanuatu.

Pam, which is classified as category five tropical storm, had already brought major devastation to other Pacific islands, such as Kiribati, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.