May 19, 2013
Six bodies, including that of a child, have been found in the sodden wreckage left by a tsunami that smashed into villages in the Solomon Islands.
A spokesman for the prime minister says the 1.5-meter (4 foot, 11-inch) waves that roared into Santa Cruz Island on Wednesday were too fast to outrun for five elderly villagers and one child. George Herming said several other people were missing Thursday and strong aftershocks were keeping frightened villagers from returning to the coast.
The tsunami was generated by an 8.0-magnitude earthquake in the South Pacific. Smaller waves were recorded in Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
Herming said an estimated 100 homes had been damaged or destroyed.
The tsunami flooded the airstrip at the nearest airport, preventing relief workers from reaching the region by air.
