February 6, 2013

Tsunami Causes Deaths and Damages Homes on Solomon Islands

A powerful 8.0 magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami that sent strong waves crashing into several South Pacific islands on Wednesday, with officials in the Solomon Islands saying that at least four people died.

The earthquake prompted tsunami warnings and watches from several island chains to Australia and later New Zealand, but many were later canceled.

The low-lying Solomon Islands, however, were not spared. At least 100 homes in the town of Lata were destroyed by a surge of water, according to World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization. Water and electricity also remained out in the town, which is the capital of the Solomon Islands’s Temoto Province.

Government officials said that in addition to the four confirmed deaths in the islands, there were unconfirmed reports that some people in fishing boats were swept out to sea.