VARIOUS: An 8.0 magnitude earthquake hits the Solomon Islands leaving at least 12 killed and many more missing

"When people's lives are at risk I don't see how you can possibly overreact, we take the advice of the State Emergency Service, if they are telling us lives are at risk we'll close the beach. That wasn't our decision it wasn't a decision we took lightly, but I think as I said as people's lives are at risk you have to do what you're told." EMPTY BONDI BEACH At least 12 people were killed and many more missing after a powerful earthquake and tsunami struck the tiny Solomon Islands on Monday (April 2), sweeping away entire villages and triggering a Pacific-wide tsunami alert. The shallow quake, with a magnitude of at least 8.0, levelled buildings and damaged a hospital on Gizo island northwest of the Solomons capital, Honiara, while a tsunami sucked homes into the sea as thousands of panicked residents fled for higher ground. At least seven people died in Gizo, many trapped in their homes when waves swept through the town. Other bodies could be seen but not reached because of big waves, the government said in a statement. "This morning when we were ready to go to work a very strong earthquake hit this island with tidal waves, tsunami. Water is coming up, and destroy all the coastal house along of Gizo. I think it is more than five metres. When they returned they found three people dead died in the different locations," said Alex Lokopio, premier of Solomon Islands West Province. The quake struck 350 km (220 miles) north-west of Honiara during the morning (2040 GMT on Sunday) and sparked a tsunami alert around the Pacific. Beaches along Australia's east coast were shut and ferry services halted in Sydney Harbour amid fears of a repeat of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. The alert was lifted about nine hours later, with damage confined to the immediate area around the quake. Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said the disaster could have been worse if it had happened only a few hours earlier, in darkness, when more people would have been asleep. Witnesses described the arriving wave, which Australia's government said also hit the western Papua New Guinea island of Bougainville, as an "extreme tide". Hundreds of tourists and locals left Sydney's iconic Bondi beach on Monday (April 2), heeding warnings of a tsunami caused by an earthquake that struck the Solomon Islands. Authorities decided to close a number of beaches on Sydney's east coast, including Bondi, after warnings of changes in water levels after the tsunami alert was issued by the Bureau of Meteorology. The State Emergency Service advised people to leave beaches and any areas exposed to surf and move to higher ground, the Australian Associated Press reported. One English tourist said he and his wife had decided to leave the beach after remembering the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. "After seeing previous tsunamis on TV, I don't want to take any risks, lifeguards have said to clear the beach so we've come off the beach," he said. Despite the warning, however, some chose to ignore the warnings and decided to stay on the beach. One man even made a joke of the tsunami warning by pretending to be a fan of tsunamis, holding up a sign which said: "Tsunami Fan Club President." The major of the Waverly Council, George Newhouse, said the beach was closed because authorities didn't want to risk people's lives. "When people's lives are at risk I dont' see how you can possibly overreact, it wasn't a decision we took lightly, but I think as I said as people's lives are at risk you have to do what you're told," he said. Authorities said the main risk to people on the beach were storm surges, currents and rips. Geological agencies, including those in Australia and Japan, put the magnitude of the quake at 8.1 while the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) revised its earlier estimate to 8.0. The initial tremor was followed around seven minutes later by a second one, centred further west, of magnitude 6.7, USGS said. Gary Gibson, who chairs the International Seismological Centre executive committee, said the quake was the biggest to hit the Solomons since 1900. The Solomon Islands lies on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire" where volcanic activity and earthquakes are fairly common. The islands are popular with international travellers for scuba diving. Most homes in the mountainous islands are constructed of timber and bamboo, with villagers relying on fishing and logging for employment.

ITN Source | April 2, 2007

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