Update 9 : At least 113 dead from quake / tsunamiDozens of aftershocks rocked the South Pacific Wednesday, 24 hours after a huge earthquake churned up towering tsunamis that killed at least 113 people when they wiped out villages and flattened tourist resorts. Huge waves that witnesses and officials said measured between three and 7.5 metres high pounded the remote Pacific islands of Samoa and Western Samoa after an 8.0-magnitude undersea quake struck early Tuesday. While the quake toppled buildings and sent thousands fleeing to high ground as the tsunami approached, many others were hit by the walls of water that swept people and cars out to sea and obliterated coastal settlements. (YAHOO ) Worst conditions combined for Pacific tsunamiScience and geography combined so that the residents of American Samoa didn't stand much of a chance. Almost all the conditions that trigger bad tsunamis were in place this week, producing waves that roared toward the island territory at the speed of a 747 jumbo jet. There was nothing to slow it down. It started with the type of earthquake that tends to generate the strongest tsunamis. It was one of the biggest on record for that type of seismic disruption. It shook just below the ocean floor, under thousands of feet of water, causing huge waves. That deeper water meant greater speed for the tsunami. American Samoa was about 125 miles from the epicenter and at just the right angle, leaving little time for people to get to high ground. (Yahoo ) Update 8 : Tsunami toll may exceed 100 A series of tsunamis smashed into the Pacific island nations of American and Western Samoa killing possibly more than 100 people, destroying villages and injuring hundreds, officials said on Wednesday. A Pacific-wide tsunami warning was issued after a huge 8.0 magnitude undersea quake off American Samoa, with reports of a small tsunami reaching New Zealand and rising sea levels in several South Pacific island nations. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancelled its warning, but Japan's Meteorological Agency issued a local tsunami warning for the country's eastern coast, warning of a possible tsunami of 50 cm (2 feet). The Indian Ocean tsunami on Dec 26, 2004 killed about 230,000 people across 11 countries. (TVNZ) Update 7 : Samoa Earthquake / Tsunami death toll likely to rise
A Samoan reporter says tsunami victims "are everywhere" in a hospital near a hard-hit area and the dead could number up to 20. The 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck in the South Pacific between Samoa and American Samoa around 6:48am (NZT) at a depth of 33km, sending terrified residents fleeing for higher ground as the tsunami swept ashore. Civil Defence here issued a warning, which has since been downgraded to a threat advisory. Mike Reynolds, superintendent of the National Park of American Samoa, was quoted as saying four tsunami waves 5-7m high roared ashore soon afterward, reaching up up to 1.5km inland. ( 3news )  
Villages are Wiped out after Samoa Earthquake and Tsunami A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 struck off the South Pacific island nation of Samoa on Tuesday, wiping out villages and killing 19 people in the region, reports said. At least 14 people were reported to have died in American Samoa, and five in Samoa as enormous waves battered the island states, with one witness saying the wall of water had been up to 30 feet (nine metres) high. One local journalist told AFP entire villages had been wiped out in Samoa on the worst-hit south and southwest coasts in an area where thousands of people live. The Samoan capital of Apia was evacuated as authorities scrambled to get thousands of people to higher ground. Witnesses said cars were swept out to sea in American Samoa where buildings were destroyed in what the US congressman for the territory said was a scene of "devastation." (Yahoo )
Waves from tsunami "higer than coconut trees"The death toll from the Samoan earthquake and tsunami is growing fast with the devastation at its worse on the southeast coast of the Western Samoan island Upolu. A New Zealand man who has had been in touch with his family in Lalomanu has learned 40 people there have been killed by waves of up to six metres which struck the coast. In American Samoa, more than a dozen people have lost their lives. Local schools and halls in Samoa have been turned into emergency centres. National Disaster Centre spokeswoman Philomena Nelson is advising people to stay on higher ground while authorities look for bodies and survivors. "Everybody's on higher ground at the moment. We're setting up camp for everyone. They will stay there while we sort out especially the badly affected areas because they cannot come back to their homes, most of them have lost their homes." (Newstalkzb )
Towering waves, sparked by a powerful earthquake more than 100 miles away in the Pacific Ocean, swept ashore flattening villages in their path. Cars and people were swept out to sea by the fast-churning waters as survivors fled to high ground. Hampered by power and communications outages, officials are struggling to assess the casualties and damage. The quake, which measured 8.3 on the Richter scale, caused waves around 1.5 metres tall to strike American Samoa and Western Samoa. At least 14 people are believed to have been killed in American Samoa, a US territory home to 65,000 people. Villages in Western Samoa are thought to have been "wiped out" and people have been reported missing, a journalist told Radio New Zealand. (Sky News) Associated Press reporter Keni Lesa said three or four villages on the popular tourist coast near the southern town of Lalomanu on Samoa's main island of Upolu had been "wiped out" by waves that roared ashore early Wednesday. Lesa said he had visited the town's main hospital where "there are bodies everywhere", including at least one child. The Samoan government has not yet confirmed fatalities. Officials in neighbouring American Samoa say at least 14 people have been killed there. Casualties in the south-east villages have been reported to 3 News by Fire Commissioner Tony Hill. Emergency teams have been sent to the area. Three children have been “killed when the waves through” says Rua McCamey. They were school children in Falealili. The school buildings are now underwater. “It was terrible,” says Mrs McCamey.
Watch Rua McCamey's interview here. Tsunami warning sirens were activated on both the West and East Coast beaches of New Zealand this morning, before a 40cm wave struck Gisborne. Residents in low-lying housing were told to head to higher ground. Aucklander Tua Saseve, Rua McCamey’s brother, says he is concerned for his relatives in Samoa after hearing that one person had died. He says the coastal part of a village called Aufaga is under water. He talked to his 80-year-old mother who thought it was the “worst earthquake she has ever felt”. New Zealander Graeme Ansell said the beach village of Sau Sau Beach Fale was levelled. "It was very quick. The whole village has been wiped out," Ansell told National Radio from a hill near Samoa's capital, Apia. "There's not a building standing. We've all clambered up hills, and one of our party has a broken leg. There will be people in a great lot of need 'round here." A tsunami swept into Pago Pago, capital of American Samoa, shortly after the earthquake, sending sea water surging inland about 100m before receding, leaving some cars stuck in mud. The staff of the port ran to higher ground, and police soon came by, telling residents to get inland. In Fagatogo, water reached the waterfront town's meeting field and covered portions of the main highway, which also was plagued by rock slides. In Samoa, the powerful quake jolted people awake. "It was pretty strong; it was long and lasted at least two minutes," one resident told local radio. "It's the strongest I have felt, and we ran outside. You could see all the trees and houses were shaking," he said. Sulili Dusi told New Zealand's National Radio that "everything dropped on the floor and we thought the house was going to go down as well. Thank God, it didn't." Along with neighbours, they fled to high ground. She said the tsunami hit the south side of the island, and some "cars have been taken." She did not elaborate, but added "we just thank God no life has been taken yet." Another resident, Dean Phillips, said the southern coast of Upolu island had been struck by the tsunami.
"The police are sending everybody up to high ground," he said. Local media said they had reports of some landslides in the Solosolo region of the main Samoan island of Upolu and damage to plantations in the countryside outside Apia. Civil Defence says a wave up to one metre could hit coastal areas of the country in the next hour, in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake and tsunami that hit Samoa. A potential threat to coastal areas of the country remained, despite downgrading the tsunami warning earlier today. Tide gauges had measured a wave of 40cm on the East Cape and 25-30cm on the North Cape. "However it is not certain whether this is the largest wave that will impact New Zealand," the ministry said. "Our advice is that larger waves can be expected to arrive in the next hour. These are unlikely to be larger than 1m." People living in coastal areas were urged to remain vigilant and to stay clear of beaches. The threat of strong currents also remained. Earlier New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was aware of reports that two New Zealanders were hospitalised in Samoa following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. An elderly woman and a pregnant woman who were staying at a resort near Lalomanu were suffering from shock but were not seriously injured, Fairfax Media reported. MFAT said it was looking into the welfare of all New Zealanders in Samoa. The ministry said New Zealanders concerned about family members in Samoa should try to make contact with them in the first instance. Those with ongoing concerns could call the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 04 439 8000, with as many contact details as possible. Japan has issued its own tsunami warning around 1:15pm (NZT).
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami dubbed “the boxing day tsunami” that tore through Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand had peaks of up to 25m. |
