About 500 homes have been damaged or destroyed by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that has rocked the Solomon Islands, officials say, following a reconnaissance flight over remote islands near the epicentre.
The National Disaster Management Office said it was possible thousands of people could be homeless after Monday's quake, but an exact assessment could not be made until ground parties arrived on Tuesday.
"There are 500 homes that have been affected but not all have been totally destroyed," Disaster Management Office spokesman Julian Makaa told AFP.
The average home in the Solomon Islands would house four-to-five people.
Despite the damage to property, and a small tsunami generated by the earthquake, only a few minor injuries were reported.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
A patrol boat carrying water, food and tarpaulins was dispatched from the capital Honiara for the worst affected areas of Rendova island and Marova Lagoon about 300km away, Makaa said.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck about 103km from the island town of Gizo, the Solomons second largest city, early on Monday and was measured at a depth of about 30km.
Rendova and Marova are both near Gizo.
