Updated at 4:41 p.m., Sunday, October 15, 2006
3,000 evacuated from Kona, South Kohala
Advertiser Staff
Big Island Mahor Harry Kim estimated that 3,000 people were being evacuated today from Kona and South Kohala because of the earthquake with most of these evacuees coming from the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and the Munakea Beach Hotel.
Kim said the hotels will be closed "indefinitely" because of structural damage.
"They're going to close it until they evaulate the safety of it," Kim said.
Kona Hospital was initially evacuated because of a gas leak but the problem was solved, Kim said.
It was unclear how serious the structural damage was at the 70-bed hospital
"All our engineers from the state and county are being sent down to evaulate it," he said.
County mass transit administrator Tom Brown said some patients were being shuttled across the island to Hilo Medical Center.
By early afternoon, electricity was back on through Kona town after being out immediately following the earthquake.
At Kona's hospital, where ceiling tiles fell in the medical-surgical unit, approximately 30 long-term care patients had been transferred to the Sheraton Keauhou Convention Center. Six acute-care patients were being flown to Hilo.
"The ceiling literally just fell out," said Terry Lewis, hospital spokesperson.
Damage to the hospital was still being assessed.
