Aid officials say at least 8 people have died in one of the Pacific Ocean's most powerful storms.

Cyclone Pam had winds of over 200 miles per hour which tore off roofs, uprooted trees and took out communication links across the islands of Vanuatu (PRO;VAN-U-AT-U).

Unconfirmed reports say the number of dead could run into dozens.

Communications are down, meaning it's hard to assess the extent of the damage.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says they are still trying to establish exactly what's happened: