 Lending a hand - this displaced boy helps to construct a wall for one of World Vision's newly dug pit toilets |
A World Vision relief team has told how a small boy who was buried by a massive landslide triggered by the Solomon Islands earthquake was pulled out alive.
The boy was living on the island of Ranangga, which has captured world headlines after the quake pushed the island several metres higher than it had been, exposing a ring of coral around the island.
As the earth shifted on Ranangga, massive landslides fell. The boy's disappearance had not been noted, and he had been buried for around three hours when a villager saw feet sticking out from the mountain of rubble and rushed forward to help.
After frantically digging the villagers finally pulled him free.
"He was gasping for air but it was clear he was alive. Just to see him now and speak with him is amazing. He is showing signs of being traumatised by appears to have survived without any serious injuries," Steve Harries, World Vision country manager who was part of the relief team said.
Ranangga was not in the path of the April 2 tsunami. The official death toll in the wake of that disaster has now risen to 52, with some 7,000 homes.
"Even though Ranangga was not impacted by the tsunami people are very afraid by their coral rising out of the water, they think the sea has receded and they are fearful it will return as a tsunami," Mr Harries said.
Thankfully, experts now believe any aftershock or further movement from the plate that caused the earthquake and tsunami is "extremely unlikely."
The international aid effort for the Solomons is now in full swing. More World Vision supplies arrived in Gizo on Friday in the form of family emergency kits which include pots, cooking utensils, soap and mosquito nets. There was also a delivery of fuel and boats to enable the World Vision team to distribute the supplies.
There are some 300 islands in the western province and traditionally the best way to travel was by boat. The tsunami destroyed most of the boats in the province and has wrecked the few roads in the area.
When the wave hit the islands, people fled to higher ground where they have now set up makeshift camps. World Vision has been working in nine of these camps to put in place basic sanitation facilities to curb the spread of diseases.
The aid agency is now establishing a presence on the islands of Ranangga and Simbo to provide aid and supplies to these people. While aid is flowing into Gizo the big challenge remains getting these supplies out to the more remote islands.
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