Aftershocks continued to rock the Solomon Islands, a day after a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami that left at least six people dead.
A metre-high wave swamped several villages on Santa Cruz island, in the far east of the Pacific nation, after the quake early on Wednesday.
Dozens of houses were damaged or swept away in at least five affected villages.
An official said several people were thought to be missing.
A number of aftershocks have struck since the initial magnitude 8.0 earthquake. One, on Thursday morning, had a magnitude of 6.2, the US Geological Survey said.
Six people – five elderly villagers and a child who were sucked under by the water – have been confirmed dead.
“There are signs that there might be increases in the number of casualties,” Red Cross disaster manager Cameron Vudi told AFP news agency.
“There are still reports coming in. Most of the reports are confined to areas that are accessible by road but there are a lot more communities that have been damaged.”
The National Disaster Management Office said up to 3,000 people were believed to have been displaced.
Santa Cruz island, also known as Nendo, is the largest island in the Santa Cruz island chain which lies more than 600km (370 miles) from the Solomons capital, Honiara.
The airstrip in Lata, the island’s main town, was swamped by the tsunami and left littered with debris.
“The airport is being cleared by some workers, by the end of today the airport would be clear of all the debris so people are now working on it and any time tomorrow or the following day airplanes should be landing,” said Temotu Province Premier Father Charles Brown Beu.
Boats carrying supplies are expected to leave Honiara later in the day but are not due to arrive at the island until the weekend, AFP news agency said.
Police teams based in Lata were also trying to reach areas to assess damage, a government statement said.
