| Gizo with a population of 6,154 (2005 estimates), is the capital of the Western Province in the Solomon Islands. It is situated on Ghizo Island approximately 380 kilometers west-northwest of the capital, Honiara, and is just southwest of the larger island of Kolombangara. Gizo also has a small paved landing strip on the east side of town, making it relatively developed compared to other settlements in the general vicinity.
Gizo was the operating base for Robert Ballards The Search for Kennedy's PT 109 , which was a National Geographic television special. The son of Eroni Kumana, who was one of the two natives that found the shipwrecked Lt. John F. Kennedy, lives on the island. The three islands, Plum Pudding, Olasana, and Naru, that were visited by the PT 109 survivors lie just to the southeast of Ghizo island. In 1943, the islands were occupied by imperial Japanese troops.
On April 2 Gizo was hit by a tsunami caused by the 8.1 magnitude earthquake centered only 25 miles from the town. Early, unconfirmed reports indicated that a three-meter wave swept through the town, killing 26 people, and possibly hundreds, as hundreds of people are still missing. The tsunami hit during daylight hours, giving people warning to seek higher ground, as the tide withdrew in advance of the wall of water. Waves ten meters high swept through the Sasamunga village northeast of Gizo, destroying houses, food gardens and a hospital.
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