Tsunami Hits Solomon Islands; South Pacific Alerted

[Mike80]

By Emma O'Brien and Ed Johnson
April 2 (Bloomberg) -- A tsunami triggered by a magnitude 8 earthquake struck the Solomon Islands, inundating two villages and killing at least four people. Australia and island nations throughout the South Pacific went on alert.
Five other people are missing and the government may declare a state of emergency, Julian Makaa of the Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office, said in a telephone interview from the capital, Honiara, today.
Residents retreated to high ground as the tsunami swept through Gizo Island in the New Georgia archipelago, damaging buildings, including a hotel, Robert Iroge, editor of the Solomons Star newspaper said by telephone from Honiara.
The quake is the world's most powerful since an 8.1 magnitude temblor hit east of the Kuril Islands off Japan on Jan. 13, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Earthquakes of magnitude 8 and higher happen on average once a year, it said.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology advised people to avoid beaches in the eastern state of New South Wales.
``At this stage we are not expecting a massive wall of water,'' spokesman Rob Webb told Sky Television News, adding coastal areas could still be hazardous due to strong currents.
Tsunami Alert
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center classified the quake as 8.1 magnitude and said a tsunami alert was in effect for the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Fiji, northeastern Australia, New Zealand and the Kermadec Islands.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=anGCFHLJu0y0&refer=home

 

[Buckeyedynasty]

Thoughts go out to all those who are involved in the situation.

 

[Mike80]

Powerful Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake Rocks Western Indonesia; Tsunami Warning Issued

Powerful Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake Rocks Western Indonesia; Tsunami Warning Issued

JAKARTA, Indonesia ? A powerful earthquake struck western Indonesia on Wednesday, prompting tsunami warnings from international agencies. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury.

The quake, which had a preliminary magnitude of 7.6, struck under the island of Simeulue off the western coast of Sumatra island, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a posting on its Web site.

Quakes of that magnitude and above can cause considerable damage.

Click here for earthquake information from the USGS

It was not immediately possible to contact anyone on the island, which is home to around 75,000 people.

Minutes after the quake hit, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a bulletin saying parts of the Sumatran coast closest to the epicenter were at risk of a possible tsunami.

Japan's meteorological agency said India's Andaman and Nicobar island chain was also at risk.

The quake was felt across a large swath of Sumatra island, witnesses said.

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