Cyclone skirts population centers

A powerful cyclone packing winds of up to 155 mph pounded some small islands in northern Fiji, but missed heavily populated areas as it swung to the southeast, officials said today.

Cyclone Daman remained a Category 4 storm, forecaster Daini Donu said, but was slowly weakening as it moved toward the Tonga islands.

Worst hit on the northern Fiji island was Cikobia, which was out of contact with disaster officials. About 65 of its 100 residents had evacuated to caves before homes were flattened by the storm, Donu said.