Flood-ravaged Fiji declared a state of emergency Sunday and warned tourists to stay away for the time being, as heavy rain and high winds continued to pound the South Pacific nation.

Officials said they could not guarantee visitors' safety in the wake of flash floods that have killed at least two people and forced more than 5,000 to take shelter in evacuation centres.

With roads to the international airport in Nadi cut off and extreme weather expected to continue until Tuesday, officials asked airlines not to bring in any more tourists until Monday at the earliest.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said that people in Pakistan are likely to be particularly vulnerable to water shortages due to leakage, inefficient domestic water use, or underinvestment in providing access, especially in rural and slum areas.

The Bank in its recent report titled 'Green Growth, Resources and Resilience: Environmental Sustainability in Asia and the Pacific' has said that the availability of water is a major factor in food security, as nearly 70 percent of freshwater withdrawals are for agriculture, mainly for irrigation.

A magnitude-7.2 earthquake rattled Fiji in the Pacific Ocean on Friday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. No tsunami warning was issued, and no damage or casualties were immediately reported.

The 7:30 a.m. (1930 GMT Thursday) quake was deep, some 368.5 miles (593 kilometers) below the surface, the USGS said.

The USGS said the quake hit some 264 miles (425 kilometers) west of Nuku'alofa, Tonga, and 281 miles (453 kilometers) southeast of Suva, Fiji.

A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage and no tsunami warning has been issued.

The US Geological Survey says the 6.6-magnitude quake struck today about 630 km south of the capital Suva at a depth of 528 km.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning. Earthquakes occur regularly in the South Pacific, where several tectonic plates converge.

A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage and no tsunami warning has been issued.

The US Geological Survey says the 6.6-magnitude quake struck today about 630 km south of the capital Suva at a depth of 528 km.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning. Earthquakes occur regularly in the South Pacific, where several tectonic plates converge.

Pacific islands are trying low-cost ways to protect crops and coasts from cyclones that are a bigger threat -- for now -- than rising sea levels that could wipe low-lying nations off the map.

Bangladesh has offered Fiji to support its developmental efforts with expertise in agricultural field as well as skilled and semi-skilled manpower.
This was stated by the Bangladesh high commissioner to the Republic of the Fiji Islands, Lieutenant General Masud Uddin Chowdhury, while presenting his credentials to the president of Fiji, Ratu Josefa Lioilovatu Uluivuda, on Thursday.