Six Dead as Search for Missing Victims Continues

GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS UNIT
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Honiara, Solomon Islands

PRESS RELEASE 02/04/07GH

Six Dead as Search for Missing Victims Continue in the Western Solomons

By George Herming

The latest death toll in the Tsunami devastated Western Solomon Islands has risen to six before midday while several others were missing as 10 meter high waves continue to crash coastal villages.

Choiseul province has confirmed two deaths at Sasamunga village while villagers continue to search for missing relatives.

In Western Province, reports from Mono Island at the maritime border with Papua New Guinea, 3 persons were reported dead while a young girl is confirmed dead at an island village near Gizo town as search for missing people continued since this morning.

In both provinces, evacuation of people to higher ground continued.

Villages including schools and health centers and property have all been completely devastated in huge waves.

Waves crashed islands in the two provinces this morning after an earth tremor measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale hit

Reports from Gizo police said the lower lying areas in the tourist town of Gizo have been completely covered, while the nearby towns of Noro and Munda including surrounding villages continued to receive huge waves.

The main wharf at Noro ports in Western Province is reported to have “cracked in the middle”, and the small wharf completely dismantled with all timbers washed away.

The Noro cannery has been affected and all residents have been evacuated up the hills on the island.

People reporting from rural email stations in the two provinces also reported continuous waves traveling at least 500 meters inland.

ENDS

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