Tsunami Report from United Church of Solomon Islands
Introduction
For Christians, the week the tsunami hit was Holy Week and communities were preparing with morning and evening worship until Good Friday. Unfortunately, the natural disaster struck the entire Solomon Islands in the west at 7.40am with a simultaneous earthquake.
United Church of Solomon Islands (UCSI) has received calls and e-mails of prayers, thoughts, sympathy and offers of assistance. This report is an update on the April 2, 2007 earthquake and tsunami.
Introduction
For Christians, the week the tsunami hit was Holy Week and communities were preparing with morning and evening worship until Good Friday. Unfortunately, the natural disaster struck the entire Solomon Islands in the west at 7.40am with a simultaneous earthquake.
United Church of Solomon Islands (UCSI) has received calls and e-mails of prayers, thoughts, sympathy and offers of assistance. This report is an update on the April 2, 2007 earthquake and tsunami.
Munda Experience
On Monday morning 2 April, as usual I left my home at 7.05am for Kokeqolo, walking to work. I reached the office at 7.20am and Mr. George Tuke was already there opening the office. As we talked we felt the quake increasing in strength. Fearing the office could fall, I ran outside. A little while later we saw people walking toward the hills and asked what happened. They responded that the sea was coming. We went out to see and the sea had already risen towards the office. Had it not been for the islands and reefs, Munda people would have had no chance to escape. In the office, I would have been caught unprepared. Mr. Tuke and I closed the office and returned home to our families. I walked for another 20 minutes on the Munda airfield runway. As I walked, I saw people from the next village already leaving their homes for the hills. The waves rose about two meters, reaching the roads, damaging wharves, removing canoes, washing a fuel depot into the sea, and depositing debris in the road. Fortunately, the islands and reefs placed by God in front of Munda naturally contained the waves so when the waves reached the shores, their velocity was radically reduced. Otherwise, it could have caused damage beyond belief. People in Munda are still living in the bushes up hills.
Helena Goldie Hospital
The patients in the hospital were evacuated to the Church Kokeqolo High School as the sea level rose. Fortunately, the rising sea did not reach the actual Hospital infrastructure and facilities. But their resources on the beach were submerged in the sea. They lost equipment such as engines and tools. A separate report from a doctor at the hospital provides further details.
Goldie College
Goldie College suffered unbelievable damage. Seven dormitories are now very unsafe to live in and students are currently living in classrooms. Twelve staff houses were damaged, collapsed, or had loose bricks making them unsafe. Staff affected was relocated to the dining hall. Science laboratory equipment was destroyed, including chemicals and apparatus. Seven classrooms are now in urgent need of repair as their structures are broken and unsafe for students and teachers to use. Classes are now suspended until further notice and will not resume until the infrastructures are repaired and rebuild.
Tabaka Training Centre
Tabaka Rural Training Centre sustained damage to a staff house. The rest of the houses are safe.
Kokeqolo
The head station of the United Church at Munda sustained damage in a cracked office floor, fallen water tanks, the collapse of the Zazala house.
Simbo
A United Church Circuit was hardest hit by the tsunami. Tapurai village was totally destroyed, while other villages were partially destroyed. The death toll reported earlier has increased. People are still missing at Simbo. School buildings at Tapurai have all collapsed. People in Simbo are living in the bushes up in the hills. A couple at Tapurai died together with the late Bishop Zapo.
Ranonga
Reports have not yet reached the office, but some people died and school buildings were also destroyed.
Gizo
Gizo Township and villages surrounding it were damaged. In some villages in the western end (Titiana and Paeloqe), houses were destroyed. Two lives were claimed at Paeloqe and Gizo, but the number has not yet been finalized. Twelve lives were lost at Titiana, where one family lost both parents and three children. One woman was visiting her parents and died with her parents.
Vella
At Vella La Vella the tsunami reached Sambora, a United Church Village, and Vonunu shores. One United Church village called Lambulambu was hit by the tsunami, claiming one life. The effects of the tsunami linger. Rev. Frederick Aleziru, returning from the funeral of the late Bishop Zapo, confirmed that Southeast Vella Circuit villages (Uzamba, Maravari, Barokoma, Sambora, Vonunu) were all affected by the strong earthquake of April 2. Several houses were damaged in each of the villages. The shed at Vonunu, run by the Vella Centennial Agency and funded by the Methodist Mission Ecumenical, also sustained damages.
Choiseul
Choiseul was hit by the tsunami as well and reports may have reached you from other reporters.
Reported by Rev Milton Talasasa
UCSI Assembly Office