HONIARA, Solomon Islands — About 500 homes were damaged or destroyed when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked the Solomon Islands, officials said Monday following a reconnaissance flight over remote islands near the epicentre.
The National Disaster Management Office said it was possible thousands of people could be homeless, but an exact assessment could not be made until ground parties arrived on Tuesday.
"There are 500 homes that have been affected but not all have been totally destroyed," Disaster Management Office spokesman Julian Makaa told AFP.
The average home in the Solomon Islands would house four-to-five people.
Despite the damage to property, and a small tsunami generated by the earthquake, only a few minor injuries were reported.
A patrol boat carrying water, food and tarpaulins was dispatched from the capital Honiara for the worst affected areas of Rendova island and Marova Lagoon about 300 kilometres (180 miles) away, Makaa said.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck about 103 kilometres from the island town of Gizo, the Solomons second largest city, early Monday and was measured at a depth of about 30 kilometres.
Rendova and Marova are both near Gizo.
source-http://www.google.com
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