Re: Santa Cruz Islands - Earthquake magnitude 8.0 - Tsunami warning and watch cancelled
Re: Santa Cruz Islands - Earthquake magnitude 8.0 - Tsunami warning and watch cancelled
Solomon Islands tsunami deaths confirmed
Bodies found in wake of waves that swept across Santa Cruz Island after undersea earthquake
Staff and agencies in Sydney
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 7 February 2013 02.17 EST
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At least nine people were killed when an earthquake set off a small but powerful tsunami that sent 1.5-metre (4ft 11in) waves roaring inland on Santa Cruz Island, in the south Pacific, on Wednesday. Around 100 homes across five villages were damaged or destroyed.
Elderly people and at least one child were among those who died after being sucked under the rushing water, said George Herming, a spokesman for the prime minister.
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The damage appeared to be concentrated on the west side of Santa Cruz, with five villages wiped out, Herming said. Authorities were still struggling to reach the remote area but an estimated 100 homes had been damaged or destroyed, he said.
The tsunami flooded the nearest airstrip and left it littered with debris, preventing relief workers from reaching the region by air.
Andrew Catford, World Vision's director in the Solomon Islands, said the aid agency would attempt to reach some of the most remote communities by boat, delivering supplies and assisting in a thorough assessment of the area. "It's a process that could take some time given the number of remote communities in low-lying atolls," he said
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Full text:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/07/solmon-islands-tsunami-death-toll