Houses float in sea of Tsunami devastation
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Houses float in sea of Tsunami devastation*
April 03, 2007 04:37pm
Article from: AAP
* At least 10 more earthquakes shake Solomon Islands
* Death toll climbs to 25, thousands homeless
* Aid workers warn of humanitarian crisis
* Hundreds still missing
AT least 10 more earthquakes have shaken devastated parts of the Solomon
Islands, where thousands of people are homeless and dozens dead
following yesterday's deadly tremor and tsunami.
The full scale of the devastation became clearer today, as the first
aerial footage of the disaster zone emerged showing flattened buildings,
homes floating in the sea and boats and debris strewn across town streets.
At least 25 people had by tonight been confirmed dead, including a New
Zealand man, the National Disaster Management Office said.
But with at least 15 entire villages wiped out, and no way yet to check
on the many small islands in the devastated Western and Choiseul
provinces, officials have told the nation to brace for a soaring toll.
As the first slow trickle of aid began to arrive today, Western Province
Premier Alex Lokopio said some 4000 people were huddled in the hills
overlooking the Solomons' second largest town, Gizo, which witnesses
said was hit by a wall of water five metres high.
They spent last night sleeping in the open on high ground, too terrified
by a series of fresh quakes to return home.
The US Geological Survey overnight and today had recorded at least 10
strong aftershocks - measuring between 5.0 and 6.2 magnitude - following
yesterday's 8.0 tremor which sparked the tsunami.
Police spokesman Mick Spinks said at least 15 coastal villages had been
reported destroyed, confirming earlier official reports that entire
communities had been wiped out.
"Virtually all the houses have been destroyed in the affected villages,"
he said.
Humanitarian crisis warning
Aid workers warned of a humanitarian crisis, with food, water and
medicine in short supply.
Australia's Council for International Development said first reports
from aid teams in the region were alarming.
"It's quite devastating and things are looking bad. You started with
poor infrastructure already and people there are very dependent on aid,"
the council's Pacific coordinator Neva Wendt said.
"This is the tropics and infection will set in immediately. We are
concerned about our supply of antibiotics for some of the injuries and
anti-malarials for people who are staying outside," Caritas spokeswoman
Liz Stone said.
Witness accounts
Gizo dive shop owner Danny Kennedy said around 150 local workers were
trying to clear roads and the local airport of debris to allow military
aid flights to bring in tents, medical supplies and food.
"It's basically just houses stacked on top of one another, roofing
iron," said the American, who has lived on Gizo for 22 years and co-owns
Dive Gizo with his Australian wife Kerrie.
"One village on Simbo was completely wiped out. The entire village is
gone and where the people are we have no idea."
Mr Kennedy said villagers were too traumatised to search homes to find
who might be buried under the rubble of their houses and villages.
Tales of individual tragedies also began to emerge today.
The daughter of the New Zealand victim told how he died trying to save
his elderly parents.
Juliet Toma said her father, Teangauki Toma, was visiting his parents
for the first time in 18 years when the tsunami hit.
"Our dad was trying to save our grandmother, with dad's youngest
brother. A second wave came and swept them out. Dad ended up drowning,"
she told Fairfax Media.
On the island of Simbo, Bishop Rowlington Zappo and three worshippers
were killed when the massive wave swept in during a church ordination
service, the United Church said. But up to 100 more in the congregation
survived.
More quakes could follow
Kevin McCue, the Director of the Australian Seismological Centre, warned
more quakes could follow along an undersea trench west of the Solomons.
"This region typically has double earthquakes, six sets of them since
1907," McCue said.
Yesterday's massive quake struck 350km northwest of Honiara and just
40km from Gizo, and sparked a tsunami alert around the Pacific,
including in Australia.
In neighbouring Papua New Guinea, authorities were checking reports a
family of five is missing from remote Rossell (Rossell) Island, in Milne
Bay province, which lay in the path of the tsunami.
Aid arrives
Meanwhile, in the Solomons, government and Red Cross disaster teams were
today taking tents and supplies to the affected areas.
Australia has offered $A2 million in aid, while New Zealand offered
$NZ500,000 ($A444,000) and sent an airforce plane loaded with supplies,
including water containers, blankets, tarpaulins, food and lamps.
The United Nations said it had a full Disaster Assessment and
Coordination team on standby for deployment to the Solomons.
The Solomon Islands has a little more than half a million people living
on dozens of islands. Hundreds more islands are uninhabited.
"There are many, many little islands up there and you just don't know
how many people are resident of the islands," police spokesman Spinks said.
With AAP, AFP, Reuters and Associated Press