Seismic activity increasing in NE

Wellington: Two major earthquakes rocked the Solomon Islands on Monday, destroying or damaging scores of homes and unleashing a tsunami that crashed ashore. Initial reports said no one was seriously hurt.

One temblor registered a 7.2 magnitude and the South Pacific nation's National Disaster Management Office said reports of widespread damage were beginning to filter in late on Monday.

ON December 26, 2004, giant waves lashed coastal India and left behind a trail of death and destruction. It also left behind lessons in resilience for many. The tsunami anniversary kindles memories of loss and offers, for the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that helped the victims in their trying times, an opportunity for introspection.

Sirens wailed and loudspeakers ordered residents of coastal towns and villages from Indonesia's Aceh province to Sri Lanka to seek safety during an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami practice drill on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka will be among 18 countries around the Indian Ocean Rim which will participate in an ocean-wide tsunami exercise on October 14 to coincide with World Disaster Reduction Day.

The powerful earthquake that struck off the west coast of Sumatra on September 30th, killing many hundreds of people and trapping thousands more under rubble, was not the giant seismologists had feared. But its impact was still horrendous to behold, and came after a few days when nature had wreaked havoc across Asia.