Undersea earthquake unleashes tsunami

The Solomon Islands were hit by a powerful undersea earthquake Monday. The earthquake destroyed entire villages and killed at least 15 people, officials expect toll to rise. A wall of water was triggered by the quake flooding towns, flattening homes and sparking panic amongst the South Pacific state.

Death toll expected to rise after the rescue teams move into stricken areas, where the true damage is yet to be known. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a region wide warning immediately after the quake hit. Why not before the quake hit, probably would have resulted in less deaths.

15 people were killed in and around the town of Gizo, the main town in Western Province. Due to telephones being down in the area, it was harder to assess the number of casualties and damages.

Some villages were completely wiped out and officials found bodies floating above the water. Other bodies were unable to be saved due to the rough seas.

The people of Gizo rushed for shelter behind a hill and badly need water and emergency supplies. Waves were reported up to 500 meters inland.
Linkhttp://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070402/wl_asia_afp/solomonsquake