How a vulnerable town was struck

At least 13 people have been killed and more are feared dead in the western Solomon Islands after a tsunami crashed ashore, washing away entire villages and causing mass destruction in a low-lying area known for its crystal-clear waters and ample diving opportunities.

The giant waves - described by witnesses as up to five metres high – were triggered by a massive undersea earthquake in the region, which set off an alert from Australia to Hawaii and saw the speedy evacuation of schools and beaches across Pacific coastlines amid fears of a repeat of the 2004 tsunami. In northern Australia, roads were jam-packed as resident fled the shore to higher ground.

Although the wall of water that followed left most of the region unscathed, its full force was taken by the impoverished South Pacific state, with villages swamped and homes devastated in and around Gizo, the main town in the western Solomons.

The town’s hospital and several government buildings – which sat along the waterfront, along with almost every other of the town's major facilities - were also destroyed, and several people were reported to have been swept away among the debris.

Local residents said that many of the area’s children would have been on their way to school at the time of the disaster.

As the state’s Prime Minister warned that the death toll was likely to rise, officials emphasised the urgent need to provide food, water and shelter to the town’s residents, the majority of whom had fled up a nearby hill for temporary refuge.

A police spokesman told Times Online that following the destruction of the Gizo hospital, a makeshift clinic had been set up on high ground for the majority of the injured, although three of the casualties had been airlifted to hospital on the island’s capital, Honiara. “We’re doing our best to get supplies, shelter and medication to the makeshift hospital,” he said. “We’re struggling with communication to the smaller islands at the moment and it’s very hard at this stage to know how many have been wounded. We should know more tomorrow”

A popular tourist location, Gizo lies around 40 km from the quake’s epicentre, and is famed in the region as a diving hotspot, as well as boasting historical significance with a strong World War Two heritage.

Francis Deve, duty manager at the Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel in Honiara, told Times Online that news on the ground was that the tsunami had in one village alone wiped out 250 homes and killed two people. “In another village we think 60 homes were destroyed also,” Mr Deve said. “The area is very low-lying and exposed, making it vulnerable to such things.”

He said that the earthquake’s tremors were felt in the capital for around eight minutes this morning. “I was in my home and knew straight away that it was an earthquake and called out to my neighbours to alert them,” he said. “Soon after, there was an alarm raised, and people near the shore started running away from the seafront.”

The time when the subsequent tsunami struck – around 7.35am local time (2040 GMT) – coincided with when many of the island's children were making their journeys to school, Mr Deve said. “Some schools have started the Easter holiday but others were still open today, with most starting at 8am. Gizo is now totally closed off, and everyone there has been evacuated to the hills.”

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