Aftershocks felt in Vanuatu - three more islands report damage

Aftershocks are still being felt on Pentecost Island in Vanuatu, five days after an earthquake and tsunami struck, killing ten people.

Pacific correspondent Kevin McQuillan reports, disaster officials say the number of homeless on Pentecost Island has also risen.

The chair of the disaster control centre John Sese says he's now received reports of damage on three other islands, Ambryn, Ape and Malacoula. He expects to know by tomorrow the full extent of the damage on those islands. Two provinces have now been declared disaster areas and a request for assistance has gone to the UN Disaster Management Office in Suva. On Pentecost itself, Mr Sese says aftershocks are continuing and people remain scared. Water and food continue to be the main problems. 200 tents have been flown to Pentecost, and while initial estimates were that one thousand people had lost their homes, Mr Sese says that figure is now probably too low.

=A9 1999 Australian Broadcasting Corporation