12 Dec 2016

Help arrives in quake affected Solomons' province

5:41 pm on 12 December 2016

Disaster officials in Solomon Islands arrived in the provincial capital of the earthquake affected Makira and Ulawa Province this morning {MON} on the police patrol boat and are preparing to travel to affected communities beginning today.

The earthquake was centred 68km west-south-west of Kirakira, Solomon Islands.

The earthquake was centred 68km west-south-west of Kirakira, Solomon Islands. Photo: Supplied / USGS

A 7.8 magnitude quake struck off of Makira island on Friday morning triggering a region-wide tsunami warning and causing damages to buildings and several landslides.

It was followed by a powerful 6.9 magnitude aftershock on Saturday.

The secretary general of Solomon Islands Red Cross Joanne Zoloveke said her staff were part of the multi-agency team deployed on Sunday night which included medical personnel, water and sanitation experts and officers from the National Disaster Management Office.

"From the RedCross we have given them tarps (tarpaulins), shelter kits and collapsible (10L) water containers. We have also put a, what we call a NOMAD that is a water purifying machine on board the patrol boat," said Joanne Zoloveke.

Ms Zoloveke said there were still no reports of casualties or injuries so far but she said more updates were expected once affected communities had been reached.

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