The people of the Solomon Islands need our prayers. They suffered another earthquake yesterday while still recovering from quakes from October. The following news comes from the Bosconet site:
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked the New Georgia island group (part of the Solomon Islands), which are part of Gizo Diocese under the care of Salesian Bishop Luciano Capelli. It is known that some 500 homes were affected, some destroyed. The earthquake caused a minor tsunami that did not injure anybody but caused panic.
The bishop, writing immediately after the event, indicated that the diocesan “Peter’s Boat,” as it is called, has joined the relief operation to the islands of Rendova, Tetepare, and Marovo lagoon, the most affected area. A Solomon Islands village home would house normally at least four people, so it is possible to make an initial guess as to the numbers of homeless, but further forays into this isolated area may reveal yet more damage. There are just a few Catholic communities in the area, since much of that part of Gizo was evangelized by the Adventists and United Church.
In April 2007, islands in the Gizo Diocese were hit by an even more powerful earthquake which killed 53 people and left thousands homeless, also destroying the Catholic cathedral on Gizo Island. Some of the Italian volunteers who helped with reconstruction were in the area yesterday and experienced firsthand what it means when a major earthquake hits these low-lying islands. But at least they had the satisfaction of seeing that their work (the cathedral and the kindergarten) stood strong.
The earthquake was felt in Honiara (where the Salesians have a strong presence) but caused no damage there. It may also have been felt in the adjoining Salesian diocese of Alotau, Papua New Guinea, but we have no reports from there as yet.
The bishop, writing immediately after the event, indicated that the diocesan “Peter’s Boat,” as it is called, has joined the relief operation to the islands of Rendova, Tetepare, and Marovo lagoon, the most affected area. A Solomon Islands village home would house normally at least four people, so it is possible to make an initial guess as to the numbers of homeless, but further forays into this isolated area may reveal yet more damage. There are just a few Catholic communities in the area, since much of that part of Gizo was evangelized by the Adventists and United Church.
In April 2007, islands in the Gizo Diocese were hit by an even more powerful earthquake which killed 53 people and left thousands homeless, also destroying the Catholic cathedral on Gizo Island. Some of the Italian volunteers who helped with reconstruction were in the area yesterday and experienced firsthand what it means when a major earthquake hits these low-lying islands. But at least they had the satisfaction of seeing that their work (the cathedral and the kindergarten) stood strong.
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