Ten people who lost their lives in the February 6 tsunami that struck Santa Cruz in Temotu Province were remembered in a service held at the St Barnabas Cathedral on Wednesday.
Hundreds of people and leaders attended the service, which coincided with the half-day public holiday the Government declared for Wednesday.
Speaking at the service, deputy prime minister and Minister for Homes Affairs Manasseh Maelanga said the remembrance service was a manifestation of the national solidarity that is enshrined in the national anthem.
He told relatives of those who lost their lives that they are not alone in this national tragedy.
School children lit candles for the deceased and a provincial representative told the story of one of the victims.
“(She) saw the fierce rolling ocean approaching in the form of a destructive wave,” he said.
“It looked so dangerous but (she) could not bear to see her husband killed alone so she told the eyewitnesses to run for safety, while she went back to die with her husband.”
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