Tsunami leaves dozens dead in Samoa At least 50 people were killed in Samoa and neighbouring American Samoa after a tsunami struck following a powerful 8.3 earthquake off the coast of the islands.
By Paul Chapman in Wellington
Published: 11:20PM BST 29 Sep 2009
Several costal villages in the South Pacific states were swept out to sea by the tsunami, which was recorded at just over 5 feet above sea level in Apia, the Samoan capital.
Thousands of residents fled to higher ground.
At least a further 14 are known to have died in American Samoa.The death toll is almost certain to climb, officials said, but communications and power outages were hampering rescue efforts.
Graeme Ansell, a New Zealand tourist in Samoa, said the resort of Sau Sau Beache Fale had been wiped out by the tsunami.
He and a number of Western tourists had taken refuge on a nearby hill.
"It was very quick and it's all been flattened," he told Radio New Zealand by mobile phone. "We need help."
Rua McCarney, a Samoan resident, said at least three schoolchildren were "killed when the waves came through" and that school buildings were under water.
Daniela Brussani, and expatriate Italian, said her resort on the island of Upolu, had been flattened.
The stuff.co.nz website said that as she was speaking to it she saw a policeman carrying a baby, which she feared was dead.
A resident at the resort said: "Everything is gone. The building, the restaurant. Nothing left."
There were also an unknown number of other deaths in American Samoa after the tsunami swept into Pago Pago, the capital, sending sea water surging more than 100 yards inland and turning streets into a muddy quagmire.
Many buildings were damaged by the earthquake itself, which measured 8.3 on the Richter scale.
The quake hit at dawn (17.48GMT on Tuesday), some 120 miles from Apia, and was followed by at least one large aftershock.
bron:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/samoa/6245053/Tsunami-leaves-dozens-dead-in-Samoa.html