Solomon Islands Tsunami Kills 15

A strong South Pacific earthquake Monday created a tsunami that sent a wall of water over the Solomon Islands and killed at least 15 people.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, and was centered six miles deep northwest of the Solomon Islands’ capital, Honiara, northeast of Australia.

The small fishing town of Gizo was just 25 miles from the epicenter, and Western Province Premier Alex Lokopio told reporters that’s where 15 people were swept out to sea, the BBC reported.

There wasn’t any warning — the warning was the earth tremors, Lokopio said.

Britain’s deputy high commissioner in Honiara also told the BBC that four people were also missing from Mono Island.

Government spokesman Alfred Maesulia told CNN a lot of people were missing, while Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said it was fortunate the tsunami hit during daylight hours when the early warning sign of the sea rapidly receding was noticed.