Dozens of people are still missing after flash floods that have killed at least 12 people and left some 10,000 homeless in the Solomon Islands.
Local media said about 30 people remained unaccounted for following Thursday’s flooding.
Eleven evacuation centres have been set up at schools and at Honiara’s international airport. The domestic airport terminal is under water and there are fears about the spread of disease once the water subsides.Much of the capital Honiara was inundated as thousands of people took refuge in emergency shelters.
A state of emergency has been declared amid concerns over food and water supplies and damaged infrastructure as Honiara’s main river, the Matanikau, burst its banks in the storm, sweeping away houses and bridges and flooding the downtown area.
“We were watching the river but never expected it to rise so fast. It took us by surprise. That is why there are deaths,” Mr Zoleveke said.
Eleven evacuation centres have been set up at schools and at Honiara’s international airport, the World Vision aid agency says.
It says that the domestic airport terminal is under water and there are fears about the spread of disease once the water subsides.
