3 Apr 2007

Family feared lost in PNG's Milne Bay after tsunami located

4:54 pm on 3 April 2007

A disaster official in Papua New Guinea's Milne Bay says a family of five, which was swept out to sea when the Solomon Islands tsunami struck the province's Rossel Island, has been located.

Eric Balaria also says the tsunami caused just minor damage on the outer Milne Bay islands of Rossel and Woodlark.

He says the waves pounded the area for around ninety minutes on Monday morning.

"There was a series of tsunamis which caused slight damage to the area especially the houses built along the beach, they were damaged, a couple of houses, and including dinghies and canoes that have been washed away by the surge of water, but there have been no casualties so far."

Mr Balaria says on the Budi Budi atolls the waves washed some distance inland but no damaged was done.

Meanwhile the administrator on Bougainville says there were no injuries or damage to property on Bougainville island or any of the low lying atolls.