Solomons earthquake, tsunami reportedly kill at least 15

Solomons earthquake, tsunami reportedly kill at least 15 - UPDATE 2

	Published : Mon, 02 Apr 2007 09:12 By : Agencies Print this Story

HONIARA (XFN-ASIA) - An undersea earthquake unleashed a tsunami that pounded into the western Solomon Islands, destroying entire villages and reportedly killing at least 15 people, officials said.

The wall of water triggered by the 8.0-magnitude quake -- which witnesses said was up to five meters high -- swamped towns, flattened homes, and sparked panic among residents.

Communications to the quake-hit area were patchy, making it difficult to assess the number of dead and injured and the damage, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told CNN.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a region-wide warning immediately after the quake, stretching as far away as Japan, but later cancelled it.

At least 15 people were killed in and around Gizo, the main town in Western Province 40 kilometers from the quake's epicentre, the provincial leader said.

'Reports have come in that more than 15 people died, just around Gizo, but with the other islands I cannot tell you,' Premier Alex Lokopio told Radio New Zealand.

The central government reported 12 deaths and the police at least four, but Sogavare warned that the death toll would likely rise once rescue teams reached the area.

'Most of the islands are low-lying, and the extent of the damage is yet to be known,' the prime minister said, adding that a team from his office, the Red Cross and the police were heading to the area.

Here in the capital, the head of the Solomons National Disaster Council, Fred Fakari, told journalists: 'Some villages are completely wiped out.'

The government's communications unit reported six bodies found floating in seas near Gizo town, hours after the shallow quake struck at 7.40 am here (2040 GMT Sunday).

The US Geological Survey reported a series of aftershocks measuring up to a magnitude of 6.7.

Lokopio, the premier of Western Province, said there was a desperate need for emergency supplies in the Gizo area, where residents remained on a hill behind the town amid strong aftershocks.

'What we desperately need now is water, tents and food because almost 3,000-4,000 people are now living on the hill at Gizo,' Lokopio said.

He said residents had been surprised by the giant waves, which hit just minutes after the area was rocked by the initial quake.

'There wasn't any warning. This was a very sad thing because the warning was the earth tremors. It shook us very, very strongly and we were frightened.

'All of a sudden the sea was rising up so all the people living around the coastal area, they ran up on the hill.'

Lokopio said most of the government buildings and businesses in Gizo had been destroyed, along with houses in low-lying areas.

Police quoted witnesses as saying waves washed up to 500 meters inland and destroyed houses, triggered landslides and forced residents to flee.

The tsunami forced the temporary closure of the airport at Gizo. It later reopened, and aircraft were rushed to the area to distribute some limited emergency supplies and assess the damage.

The government disaster council was meeting late Monday afternoon here to decide whether to declare a state of emergency.

The Solomon Islands, 2,575 kilometres east of Australia, has a little over half a million people living on dozens of islands.

Across the Pacific, governments from Australia to New Caledonia and the Northern Marianas evacuated schools and ordered coastal residents to move to higher ground, but there were no immediate reports of damage.

Australian officials shut beaches on the east coast and some ferry services in Sydney were canceled, but scientists said the wave had not posed a serious threat to Australia.

Solomons earthquake, tsunami reportedly kill at least 15 - UPDATE 2