On April 2, two earthquakes measuring between 7.6 and 9 on the Richter scale triggered a tsunami some 30 feet high that completely flooded the towns of Gizo and Noro in the Western Province of the country.
The Solomon Star newspaper said, citing a local official, that the recent data does not reflect the actual number of victims, because rescue teams are still searching through the debris in remote areas hit by the natural disaster.
"We are not sure how long we will still be announcing new data on victims and missing persons," the paper quoted prime minister of the Western province, Alex Lokopio, as saying.
Original government estimates said the flood affected 25% of the Western Province, which consists of a few hundred islands with a population of 90,000.
With a total population of about 550,000, the island group is a popular venue with tourists, and local residents rely mainly on fishing and tourism for income.
The most powerful and disastrous calamity involving a tsunami over the last 40 years occurred in December 2004, when an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale in the Indian Ocean generated a tsunami wave that hit South Asian countries, particularly Indonesia, killing more than 280,000 people. Tens of thousands were reported missing.
