At least three Seventh-day Adventists were among those killed when a tsunami swept across the Solomon Islands on April 2. Several other church members remain missing across the archipelago nation and are presumed dead.

A state of emergency was declared the day after an underwater earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale triggered the 33-foot tsunami responsible for displacing some 5,500 Solomon Island residents.

Many of those killed or affected by the disaster lived along the nation’s coastal areas. Church officials in the South Pacific (SPD) region report that the tsunami destroyed much of the local church’s infrastructure. The local Adventist Book Center in Gizo was flattened, but the local church escaped unscathed. In Simbo, an Adventist pastor and his wife were killed and many predominantly Adventist villages were annihilated. Officials also say Kukudo Adventist College’s equipment and resources were swept away, but classrooms and dormitories remain intact and no lives were lost.

Following its immediate response, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) continues to coordinate with the local government, United Nations agencies and other international nongovernmental organizations to provide essential health care, equipment, supplies and resources to those affected by the tsunami.

In many areas in the Solomon Islands, such as the Kolobangara Islands, officials await word of damages and potential loss of life. As communication increases, both ADRA and regional church efforts are expected to increase.

“It is very difficult to get information [about the situation],” said Barry Oliver, SPD secretary. “We will proceed as we know more. Of course, we will support our church in the Solomon Islands in every way.”