Devastating wave storm

Press, 5 December 1979, Page 9

Devastating wave storm

T NZPA-Reuter Agana, Guam ] ’ A devastating wave storm | 1 1 has hit the Marshall Islands bin the Western Pacific, forc•]ing some 7000 people to evacuate their houses on the ■’main island of Majuro and ’1 dipping much of the atoll : ■ under water, according to s ] radio broadcasts monitored lin Agana, Guam. -i United States Trust Territ; tory officials say the new ! storm was far stronger than one which last week caused -' an estimted S27M worth of: ; damage to the area. Presi-1 e dent Carter declared it a dis- ■ aster area.

At least six people were ] injured, one of them serious-; ly, when gale-force winds ’ and 6m waves pounded the' reef around the island. The eastern part of Majuro, ] hardest hit, lies only two metres above sea level. The officials say Majuro’s; hospital suffered extensive j damage, forcing the evacuation of ail patients, and a; bank building housing the ’ I island’s post office was \ ■washed away. The Marshalls’ Foreign ] Minister (Mr Tony Debrum) ’said at least 4000 people had 'been evacuated and another'

■ 3000 people were without food or possessions. He said nearly all of the 'atoll’s stores were closed because of extensive damage. “I do not expect there will ibe enough food to last more than five or six days,” Mr ;Debrum told the Trust Territory High Commissioner (Mr Adrian Winkel) in a ■ radio broadcast monitored on Guam. > He asked Mr Winkel to. send “walkie-talkies, bat-’ teries. and flash lights . . .' as many as you can bring; in.”