Local students doing Flexi School in Nadi are reported to be safe as heavy rain and flooding brought about by tropical depression continues to hit Fiji.

Reports reaching Solomon Times from Suva said that more than 20 students from Solomon Islands currently doing summer school at the most flooded areas in Ba, Lautoka and Nadi in the Western side of Viti Levu are safe.

Their spokesperson, John Nagive, reporting from Jasper Williams High School at Lautoka town said that although lectures have been disrupted due to adverse weather and flooding, they are still on home study and taking precautionary measures.

SIG, AusAID and NZAID-sponsored students, mostly final year taking different courses through the summer mode, are expected to complete their courses in the coming weeks.

A state of emergency has been declared in the Western Division after being pelted by more than 200mm of rain since Friday [last week].

Fiji's Interim Government has launched a worldwide appeal for victims of the flooding.

Seven deaths have been confirmed and two Fijian teenagers are missing and, to date, floods have forced over 2,300 people to move to evacuation centres and more bad weather is predicted when a second tropical depression reaches Fiji later this week.

Since the storm hit last week, power and telephone lines have been cut, drinking water is limited and hundreds of holiday-makers have been left stranded.