Breaking News - Quake Triggers Tsunami in Solomon Islands

A major earthquake rumbled off the coast of Australia Monday morning (Sunday afternoon US time,) wreaking death and destruction in western portions of the Solomon Islands.

The 8.1 magnitude quake spawned a tsunami that inundated the western shores of the Solomon Islands, killing at least three people and damaging at least two small communities along the country's western shorelines. Early reports put the quake at a magnitude of 7.6. The US Geological Survey later revised it upward to 8.0: geological agencies in Japan and Australia put it nearer 8.1.

The US Geological Survey website shows that the quake struck the Solomon Islands about 7:40am local time, the epicenter rocking the ocean floor at a depth of some 6.2 miles. In the US, that corresponds to 4:40pm EST.

A subsequent tsunami inundated two small western villages on the island of Mono, where water destroyed homes along the beach. Japanese news sources estimated sixty buildings collapsed during the initial quake. Mono is part of the Treasuries Islands, at the far western edge of the Solomon Islands. The area is isolated, hampering the release information on damage and casualties. Also affected was Simbo Island, where surged about 220 yards inland.

The city of Gizo in the Solomon Islands was slammed by a wave several yards high that destroyed homes and businesses, including a hotel. The Gizo hospital sustained damages and was evacuated. According to the Associated Press, a tsunami warning was issued for the area, but communication was lost moments later. Subsequent reports indicate police were trying to evacuate residents to higher ground when the first tsunami wave struck. Gizo is the provencial capital of New Georgia and is home to some 20,000 people.

The Solomon Islands western village of Munda was one of several other villages devastated by the tsunami.

Several aftershocks have rocked the area since the biggest earthquake, including a 6.7 quake seven minutes after the big temblor, and a 6.4 quake just a few minutes after that. Several more have measured at magnitudes of 5.0 and above.

Various news outlets cite at least four missing in the aftermath of the quake and tsunami, and news.com.au reported three dead. US television outlets say there are more dead and one community was "flattened." One Giza resident reported water up to her head and said homes nearest the ocean were wholly destroyed, and that the downtown area sustained significant damage. Other reports say waves ten feet high rolled through, washing debris through streets and buildings. Large boats washed into city streets, where they remained after the water receded. Thousands were left homeless in an area where home construction is primarily bamboo and timber, and fishing and timber are primary sources of employment.

The estimated height of the waves at maximum was 12 to 15 feet above the high tide stage.

Several Pacific regions were put under tsunami alerts, including Japan, Hawaii and the west coast of the US, Australia and other Pacific locations. As of Sunday evening US time, officials announced that the worst danger had passed and alerts were canceled. Risks to Hawaii and the western US were never believed serious. The initial tsunami prediction for the east coast of Australia was a wave measured in centimeters.

The massive quake could be felt in the Solomon Islands capital city of Honiara. There were no reports of damage in Honiara, where officials say the shaking lasted about two minutes and felt like a gentle rock. The epicenter of the main shock was 215 miles south of Honiara, but only 25 miles from Gizo.

The primary concern now is mobilizing help for the hardest-hit area. Early estimates say more than 2000 are homeless

The Solomon Islands are an archipelago nation east of the Australian coast. Some 1000 islands comprise the tiny country, which became independent in the 1970's. It is a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, which encompasses some of the world's most geologically active regions. The Ring of Fire runs along the eastern coastlines of Asia and Australia, including Indonesia. It also follows the west coasts of North and South America.