Post by Roderick on Sept 30, 2009 12:50:32 GMT 12
Deaths toll rises after quake, tsunami hit Samoa
'There are bodies everywhere'
Stuff.co.nz Last updated 13:26 30/09/2009SharePrint Text Size 271 comments ALERT: Barry Hirshorn and Dr Gerard Fryer of NOAA at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, after the earthquake and tsunami that hit Samoa.
Deaths toll rises after quake, tsunami hit Samoa
'There are bodies everywhere'
Stuff.co.nz Last updated 13:26 30/09/2009SharePrint Text Size 271 comments ALERT: Barry Hirshorn and Dr Gerard Fryer of NOAA at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, after the earthquake and tsunami that hit Samoa.
Aftermath of tsunami in Samoa
View Aftermath of Samoa quake in a larger map Tsunami Arrival Times
View Tsunami Arrival Times in a larger map Cameraman describes havoc Related LinksWaves hit Tonga, damage but no casualties Sea disappeared, then swallowed resort Red Cross donations Further tsunami expected for New Zealand NZ poised to help Samoa - govt Relevant offers
South PacificWaves hit Tonga, damage but no casualties Fiji unfairly blocked from UN role: Bainimarama EU extends Fiji sanctions Earthquake rocks Bali Virgin Mary spotted in Samoa Tonga ferry replacement bids Gitmo prisoners head for Pacific island Samoa passes left-switch driving test Fiji human rights abuses worsen Cacophony as Samoa switches The death toll from a massive South Pacific earthquake and tsunami has risen to at least 34 in both Samoa and American Samoa.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are you in Samoa, or do you know anyone in Samoa who has been affected by the tsunami? Email your comments, photos and video to editorial@stuff.co.nz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The death toll is expected to rise.
"We are on our way to the south coast where our people have told us of 11 deaths and we heard on the radio of another three," the secretary general of the Red Cross in Samoa, Talutala Mauala told AFP.
"There have also been some injuries. We won't know the full extent of the damage until we get there and see for ourselves."
Russell Hunter, editor of the Samoan Observer, said it was difficult to get information. Internet and phone connections were patchy.
The latest he had heard was that at least 17 were confirmed dead.
“But it will undoubtedly go much higher than that. The damage is very, very widespread particularly on the south-east coast (of Upolu),” he said.
The south-east coast is an area with several holiday resorts as well as numerous villages.
Among the dead is the owner of the Sinalei resort Joe Annandale, who reportedly lost his life after his resort was levelled by the tsunami.
Radio KSBS-FM reported at least 14 people were killed in the Poloa, Asili, Pago Pago and Leone areas of American Samoa.
A Samoan reporter said tsunami victims "are everywhere" in a hospital near a hard-hit area.
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 this morning.
Lesa said he had visited the town's main hospital where "there are bodies everywhere", including at least one child.
New Zealand's deputy high commissioner to the Samoan capital Apia, David Dolphin, said he was aware of reports five people were killed in Samoa.
Most of the damage appeared to be centred on the island's southern coast where waves of six-to-eight metres were recorded.
"There are reports of some quite serious damage, at least five fatalities and quite a few reports of people missing," said Dolphin, who was on the north coast at the time.
The earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.3 struck at 6.48am and was followed by tsunamis in Samoa and neighbouring American Samoa.
At least two Kiwis have been taken to hospital in Samoa following the tsunami.
They are believed to be an elderly woman and a pregnant woman who were staying a resort near Lalomanu.
It is believed they were suffering from shock and were not seriously injured.
Three South Koreans are among the dead in American Samoa, an official at Seoul's foreign ministry said.
A number of Australians were also injured.
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Lyall Preston and a group of holidaymakers from Dargaville in Northland watched from higher ground as the tsunami hit their Sinalei resort located on Samoa's southern coastline.
The group then witnessed the bodies of three young children wash towards them.
Speaking to Dargaville and Districts News, Collen Preston said her son found three little children dead.
"He is just traumatised".
"My son noticed early this morning that the tide had gone right out so he organised for the group to run to higher ground and they watched as the tsunami hit."
Ms Preston believes the group were not warned that a tsunami was coming.
"Most of the hotel they were staying at was washed away."
VILLAGE FLATTENED
New Zealander Graeme Ansell said the Samoan 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 100 metres 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 neighbors, 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.
In its preliminary earthquake report, the US Geological Survey put the epicentre 204 kilometres south-southwest of Samoa's capital Apia and at a depth of 85 kilometres.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
» View interactive map
» Video: Cameraman describes havoc
» New Zealand downgrades tsunami alert
» Sea disappeared, then swallowed Samoa resort
» Donate to Red Cross Appeal
» Full coverage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TSUNAMI HITS SAMOA
A tsunami was observed at Apia, Samoa, and at Pago Pago, American Samoa, according to the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre, a branch of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The waves at Pago Pago were 1.57m above normal sea level, according to the Pacific Western Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii.
The centre earlier issued a tsunami warning for New Zealand, American Samoa and other small Pacific islands. It later cancelled the warning.
A spokeswoman for Samoa Police told Stuff.co.nz that villages on the country’s southern coast had been hit by a tsunami.
"We cannot say much more, we’re extremely busy, but, yes, we have been hit," she said.
Polynesia Radio in Apia told Stuff that they were receiving reports from Siumu and Lotofaga that a tsunami had come ashore.
Both are on the south side of Upolu island, exposed to the area where the earthquake hit this morning.
In Fagatogo, water reached the waterfront town's meeting field and covered portions of the main highway, which also was plagued by rock slides.
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.
In the northern Tongan island of Vavau the earthquake has also been severely felt.
The New Zealand Government had held major concerns for the tiny low-lying Pacific states of Tokelau and Tuvalu, but a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said reports from both countries confirmed they had not been hit by a tsunami.
It appeared they had escaped damage as they are to the north of Samoa and the earthquake was to the south of Samoa.
SURVIVOR: SAMOA
Filming of a new season of Survivor: Samoa – the second in a row to be filmed on Samoa’s Upolu Island – was not affected by the tsunami.
A CBS spokesperson said: “Everyone's okay. Survivor crew are okay and filming was not affected.”
Around 400 Survivor crew controversially took over Aggie Grey’s Lagoon to film two back-to-back seasons of the hit reality show
- By MICHAEL FIELD, Stuff.co.nz with NZPA, AP
Next South Pacific story:
Australians injured in tsunami
World HomepageSponsored links
AirNZPartnerSponsLinkStuffROS_140909.html AirNZs best deals in one place - Blackboard Deals Share this page Email Facebook MySpace Digg StumbleUpon Delicious Reddit Linkedin Twitter 271 comments
Post a comment Expand All Newest First
Oldest First tay #271 13 min ago
hi im so sorry that thoose people died just cause of a tsunami
there even mit be one in newzealand sad.
so thats all i have to say by
lotofaga_lion #270 16 min ago
There's no news about Savai'i - so am I right to assume that there haven't been any casualties there then? I've also heard that Lotofaga has been evacuated but like most news, it's unconfirmed. Any updates would be appreciated.
rhi #269 17 min ago
hello i think this is real real scary! hopefulli it doesent hit us if it does i will be freaked out cuzz i hate stormz and things lyk that lol
i feel so bad for the people in samoa its sooooo sad that some people have died over a tsunami
byeee
Nivea #268 17 min ago
I have family in Falealili, Vaovai aparently it has also been hit. I have not heard from any family yet. My prayers are with all those in Samoa and American Samoa.
People Matter #267 1:13pm
Alofas to our Samoa xxxxx
Tsu Nami #266 1:12pm
I certainly hope Surge & Rescue have been put on alert!
lua #265 1:10pm
Heard that faleasiu was badly affected I have family there very devastating time for everyone. I also have family in Malie, Falevao, Vaitele, and Fusi in Savaii......if anybody has heard anything in regards to these villages could you please update me?...
jagilby #264 1:04pm
Re: Loveeely (#238) and Re Loveeely (#251). It's called sarcasm. Read between the lines... I wasn't joking at all, I was making the point that the media shouldn't focus on Survivor at a time like this and followed it up with the fact that prayers and thoughts are with the family. Also - Those people who lined the beaches to see the Tsunami are raving mad... do you go and stand on railway tracks to see a train coming?
raewyn brooking #263 12:59pm
Thank God people have been educated on what to look for when a Tsunami is about to happen, how many lives were saved because they read the ocean and acted promptly by leaving for higher ground. Our thought are with the whole of Samoa and their families in NZ. Please NZ send help as soon as possible, to minimise the suffering . RB
pisces #262 12:57pm
I dont think there is anything wrong with "Stuff" commenting on people from the Survivor series...they are people too!!! Im sure if one of your family members were involved in the series you would want to know that they were ok..WAKE UP PEOPLE!!
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View Aftermath of Samoa quake in a larger map Tsunami Arrival Times
View Tsunami Arrival Times in a larger map Cameraman describes havoc Related LinksWaves hit Tonga, damage but no casualties Sea disappeared, then swallowed resort Red Cross donations Further tsunami expected for New Zealand NZ poised to help Samoa - govt Relevant offers
South PacificWaves hit Tonga, damage but no casualties Fiji unfairly blocked from UN role: Bainimarama EU extends Fiji sanctions Earthquake rocks Bali Virgin Mary spotted in Samoa Tonga ferry replacement bids Gitmo prisoners head for Pacific island Samoa passes left-switch driving test Fiji human rights abuses worsen Cacophony as Samoa switches The death toll from a massive South Pacific earthquake and tsunami has risen to at least 34 in both Samoa and American Samoa.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are you in Samoa, or do you know anyone in Samoa who has been affected by the tsunami? Email your comments, photos and video to editorial@stuff.co.nz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The death toll is expected to rise.
"We are on our way to the south coast where our people have told us of 11 deaths and we heard on the radio of another three," the secretary general of the Red Cross in Samoa, Talutala Mauala told AFP.
"There have also been some injuries. We won't know the full extent of the damage until we get there and see for ourselves."
Russell Hunter, editor of the Samoan Observer, said it was difficult to get information. Internet and phone connections were patchy.
The latest he had heard was that at least 17 were confirmed dead.
“But it will undoubtedly go much higher than that. The damage is very, very widespread particularly on the south-east coast (of Upolu),” he said.
The south-east coast is an area with several holiday resorts as well as numerous villages.
Among the dead is the owner of the Sinalei resort Joe Annandale, who reportedly lost his life after his resort was levelled by the tsunami.
Radio KSBS-FM reported at least 14 people were killed in the Poloa, Asili, Pago Pago and Leone areas of American Samoa.
A Samoan reporter said tsunami victims "are everywhere" in a hospital near a hard-hit area.
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 this morning.
Lesa said he had visited the town's main hospital where "there are bodies everywhere", including at least one child.
New Zealand's deputy high commissioner to the Samoan capital Apia, David Dolphin, said he was aware of reports five people were killed in Samoa.
Most of the damage appeared to be centred on the island's southern coast where waves of six-to-eight metres were recorded.
"There are reports of some quite serious damage, at least five fatalities and quite a few reports of people missing," said Dolphin, who was on the north coast at the time.
The earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.3 struck at 6.48am and was followed by tsunamis in Samoa and neighbouring American Samoa.
At least two Kiwis have been taken to hospital in Samoa following the tsunami.
They are believed to be an elderly woman and a pregnant woman who were staying a resort near Lalomanu.
It is believed they were suffering from shock and were not seriously injured.
Three South Koreans are among the dead in American Samoa, an official at Seoul's foreign ministry said.
A number of Australians were also injured.
Ad Feedback TRAUMATISED
Lyall Preston and a group of holidaymakers from Dargaville in Northland watched from higher ground as the tsunami hit their Sinalei resort located on Samoa's southern coastline.
The group then witnessed the bodies of three young children wash towards them.
Speaking to Dargaville and Districts News, Collen Preston said her son found three little children dead.
"He is just traumatised".
"My son noticed early this morning that the tide had gone right out so he organised for the group to run to higher ground and they watched as the tsunami hit."
Ms Preston believes the group were not warned that a tsunami was coming.
"Most of the hotel they were staying at was washed away."
VILLAGE FLATTENED
New Zealander Graeme Ansell said the Samoan 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 100 metres 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 neighbors, 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.
In its preliminary earthquake report, the US Geological Survey put the epicentre 204 kilometres south-southwest of Samoa's capital Apia and at a depth of 85 kilometres.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
» View interactive map
» Video: Cameraman describes havoc
» New Zealand downgrades tsunami alert
» Sea disappeared, then swallowed Samoa resort
» Donate to Red Cross Appeal
» Full coverage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TSUNAMI HITS SAMOA
A tsunami was observed at Apia, Samoa, and at Pago Pago, American Samoa, according to the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre, a branch of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The waves at Pago Pago were 1.57m above normal sea level, according to the Pacific Western Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii.
The centre earlier issued a tsunami warning for New Zealand, American Samoa and other small Pacific islands. It later cancelled the warning.
A spokeswoman for Samoa Police told Stuff.co.nz that villages on the country’s southern coast had been hit by a tsunami.
"We cannot say much more, we’re extremely busy, but, yes, we have been hit," she said.
Polynesia Radio in Apia told Stuff that they were receiving reports from Siumu and Lotofaga that a tsunami had come ashore.
Both are on the south side of Upolu island, exposed to the area where the earthquake hit this morning.
In Fagatogo, water reached the waterfront town's meeting field and covered portions of the main highway, which also was plagued by rock slides.
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.
In the northern Tongan island of Vavau the earthquake has also been severely felt.
The New Zealand Government had held major concerns for the tiny low-lying Pacific states of Tokelau and Tuvalu, but a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said reports from both countries confirmed they had not been hit by a tsunami.
It appeared they had escaped damage as they are to the north of Samoa and the earthquake was to the south of Samoa.
SURVIVOR: SAMOA
Filming of a new season of Survivor: Samoa – the second in a row to be filmed on Samoa’s Upolu Island – was not affected by the tsunami.
A CBS spokesperson said: “Everyone's okay. Survivor crew are okay and filming was not affected.”
Around 400 Survivor crew controversially took over Aggie Grey’s Lagoon to film two back-to-back seasons of the hit reality show
- By MICHAEL FIELD, Stuff.co.nz with NZPA, AP
Next South Pacific story:
Australians injured in tsunami
World HomepageSponsored links
AirNZPartnerSponsLinkStuffROS_140909.html AirNZs best deals in one place - Blackboard Deals Share this page Email Facebook MySpace Digg StumbleUpon Delicious Reddit Linkedin Twitter 271 comments
Post a comment Expand All Newest First
Oldest First tay #271 13 min ago
hi im so sorry that thoose people died just cause of a tsunami
there even mit be one in newzealand sad.
so thats all i have to say by
lotofaga_lion #270 16 min ago
There's no news about Savai'i - so am I right to assume that there haven't been any casualties there then? I've also heard that Lotofaga has been evacuated but like most news, it's unconfirmed. Any updates would be appreciated.
rhi #269 17 min ago
hello i think this is real real scary! hopefulli it doesent hit us if it does i will be freaked out cuzz i hate stormz and things lyk that lol
i feel so bad for the people in samoa its sooooo sad that some people have died over a tsunami
byeee
Nivea #268 17 min ago
I have family in Falealili, Vaovai aparently it has also been hit. I have not heard from any family yet. My prayers are with all those in Samoa and American Samoa.
People Matter #267 1:13pm
Alofas to our Samoa xxxxx
Tsu Nami #266 1:12pm
I certainly hope Surge & Rescue have been put on alert!
lua #265 1:10pm
Heard that faleasiu was badly affected I have family there very devastating time for everyone. I also have family in Malie, Falevao, Vaitele, and Fusi in Savaii......if anybody has heard anything in regards to these villages could you please update me?...
jagilby #264 1:04pm
Re: Loveeely (#238) and Re Loveeely (#251). It's called sarcasm. Read between the lines... I wasn't joking at all, I was making the point that the media shouldn't focus on Survivor at a time like this and followed it up with the fact that prayers and thoughts are with the family. Also - Those people who lined the beaches to see the Tsunami are raving mad... do you go and stand on railway tracks to see a train coming?
raewyn brooking #263 12:59pm
Thank God people have been educated on what to look for when a Tsunami is about to happen, how many lives were saved because they read the ocean and acted promptly by leaving for higher ground. Our thought are with the whole of Samoa and their families in NZ. Please NZ send help as soon as possible, to minimise the suffering . RB
pisces #262 12:57pm
I dont think there is anything wrong with "Stuff" commenting on people from the Survivor series...they are people too!!! Im sure if one of your family members were involved in the series you would want to know that they were ok..WAKE UP PEOPLE!!
Ad Feedback
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'There are bodies everywhere'
Stuff.co.nz Last updated 13:26 30/09/2009SharePrint Text Size 271 comments ALERT: Barry Hirshorn and Dr Gerard Fryer of NOAA at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, after the earthquake and tsunami that hit Samoa.
Deaths toll rises after quake, tsunami hit Samoa
'There are bodies everywhere'
Stuff.co.nz Last updated 13:26 30/09/2009SharePrint Text Size 271 comments ALERT: Barry Hirshorn and Dr Gerard Fryer of NOAA at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, after the earthquake and tsunami that hit Samoa.
Aftermath of tsunami in Samoa
View Aftermath of Samoa quake in a larger map Tsunami Arrival Times
View Tsunami Arrival Times in a larger map Cameraman describes havoc Related LinksWaves hit Tonga, damage but no casualties Sea disappeared, then swallowed resort Red Cross donations Further tsunami expected for New Zealand NZ poised to help Samoa - govt Relevant offers
South PacificWaves hit Tonga, damage but no casualties Fiji unfairly blocked from UN role: Bainimarama EU extends Fiji sanctions Earthquake rocks Bali Virgin Mary spotted in Samoa Tonga ferry replacement bids Gitmo prisoners head for Pacific island Samoa passes left-switch driving test Fiji human rights abuses worsen Cacophony as Samoa switches The death toll from a massive South Pacific earthquake and tsunami has risen to at least 34 in both Samoa and American Samoa.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are you in Samoa, or do you know anyone in Samoa who has been affected by the tsunami? Email your comments, photos and video to editorial@stuff.co.nz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The death toll is expected to rise.
"We are on our way to the south coast where our people have told us of 11 deaths and we heard on the radio of another three," the secretary general of the Red Cross in Samoa, Talutala Mauala told AFP.
"There have also been some injuries. We won't know the full extent of the damage until we get there and see for ourselves."
Russell Hunter, editor of the Samoan Observer, said it was difficult to get information. Internet and phone connections were patchy.
The latest he had heard was that at least 17 were confirmed dead.
“But it will undoubtedly go much higher than that. The damage is very, very widespread particularly on the south-east coast (of Upolu),” he said.
The south-east coast is an area with several holiday resorts as well as numerous villages.
Among the dead is the owner of the Sinalei resort Joe Annandale, who reportedly lost his life after his resort was levelled by the tsunami.
Radio KSBS-FM reported at least 14 people were killed in the Poloa, Asili, Pago Pago and Leone areas of American Samoa.
A Samoan reporter said tsunami victims "are everywhere" in a hospital near a hard-hit area.
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 this morning.
Lesa said he had visited the town's main hospital where "there are bodies everywhere", including at least one child.
New Zealand's deputy high commissioner to the Samoan capital Apia, David Dolphin, said he was aware of reports five people were killed in Samoa.
Most of the damage appeared to be centred on the island's southern coast where waves of six-to-eight metres were recorded.
"There are reports of some quite serious damage, at least five fatalities and quite a few reports of people missing," said Dolphin, who was on the north coast at the time.
The earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.3 struck at 6.48am and was followed by tsunamis in Samoa and neighbouring American Samoa.
At least two Kiwis have been taken to hospital in Samoa following the tsunami.
They are believed to be an elderly woman and a pregnant woman who were staying a resort near Lalomanu.
It is believed they were suffering from shock and were not seriously injured.
Three South Koreans are among the dead in American Samoa, an official at Seoul's foreign ministry said.
A number of Australians were also injured.
Ad Feedback TRAUMATISED
Lyall Preston and a group of holidaymakers from Dargaville in Northland watched from higher ground as the tsunami hit their Sinalei resort located on Samoa's southern coastline.
The group then witnessed the bodies of three young children wash towards them.
Speaking to Dargaville and Districts News, Collen Preston said her son found three little children dead.
"He is just traumatised".
"My son noticed early this morning that the tide had gone right out so he organised for the group to run to higher ground and they watched as the tsunami hit."
Ms Preston believes the group were not warned that a tsunami was coming.
"Most of the hotel they were staying at was washed away."
VILLAGE FLATTENED
New Zealander Graeme Ansell said the Samoan 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 100 metres 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 neighbors, 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.
In its preliminary earthquake report, the US Geological Survey put the epicentre 204 kilometres south-southwest of Samoa's capital Apia and at a depth of 85 kilometres.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
» View interactive map
» Video: Cameraman describes havoc
» New Zealand downgrades tsunami alert
» Sea disappeared, then swallowed Samoa resort
» Donate to Red Cross Appeal
» Full coverage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TSUNAMI HITS SAMOA
A tsunami was observed at Apia, Samoa, and at Pago Pago, American Samoa, according to the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre, a branch of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The waves at Pago Pago were 1.57m above normal sea level, according to the Pacific Western Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii.
The centre earlier issued a tsunami warning for New Zealand, American Samoa and other small Pacific islands. It later cancelled the warning.
A spokeswoman for Samoa Police told Stuff.co.nz that villages on the country’s southern coast had been hit by a tsunami.
"We cannot say much more, we’re extremely busy, but, yes, we have been hit," she said.
Polynesia Radio in Apia told Stuff that they were receiving reports from Siumu and Lotofaga that a tsunami had come ashore.
Both are on the south side of Upolu island, exposed to the area where the earthquake hit this morning.
In Fagatogo, water reached the waterfront town's meeting field and covered portions of the main highway, which also was plagued by rock slides.
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.
In the northern Tongan island of Vavau the earthquake has also been severely felt.
The New Zealand Government had held major concerns for the tiny low-lying Pacific states of Tokelau and Tuvalu, but a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said reports from both countries confirmed they had not been hit by a tsunami.
It appeared they had escaped damage as they are to the north of Samoa and the earthquake was to the south of Samoa.
SURVIVOR: SAMOA
Filming of a new season of Survivor: Samoa – the second in a row to be filmed on Samoa’s Upolu Island – was not affected by the tsunami.
A CBS spokesperson said: “Everyone's okay. Survivor crew are okay and filming was not affected.”
Around 400 Survivor crew controversially took over Aggie Grey’s Lagoon to film two back-to-back seasons of the hit reality show
- By MICHAEL FIELD, Stuff.co.nz with NZPA, AP
Next South Pacific story:
Australians injured in tsunami
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Post a comment Expand All Newest First
Oldest First tay #271 13 min ago
hi im so sorry that thoose people died just cause of a tsunami
there even mit be one in newzealand sad.
so thats all i have to say by
lotofaga_lion #270 16 min ago
There's no news about Savai'i - so am I right to assume that there haven't been any casualties there then? I've also heard that Lotofaga has been evacuated but like most news, it's unconfirmed. Any updates would be appreciated.
rhi #269 17 min ago
hello i think this is real real scary! hopefulli it doesent hit us if it does i will be freaked out cuzz i hate stormz and things lyk that lol
i feel so bad for the people in samoa its sooooo sad that some people have died over a tsunami
byeee
Nivea #268 17 min ago
I have family in Falealili, Vaovai aparently it has also been hit. I have not heard from any family yet. My prayers are with all those in Samoa and American Samoa.
People Matter #267 1:13pm
Alofas to our Samoa xxxxx
Tsu Nami #266 1:12pm
I certainly hope Surge & Rescue have been put on alert!
lua #265 1:10pm
Heard that faleasiu was badly affected I have family there very devastating time for everyone. I also have family in Malie, Falevao, Vaitele, and Fusi in Savaii......if anybody has heard anything in regards to these villages could you please update me?...
jagilby #264 1:04pm
Re: Loveeely (#238) and Re Loveeely (#251). It's called sarcasm. Read between the lines... I wasn't joking at all, I was making the point that the media shouldn't focus on Survivor at a time like this and followed it up with the fact that prayers and thoughts are with the family. Also - Those people who lined the beaches to see the Tsunami are raving mad... do you go and stand on railway tracks to see a train coming?
raewyn brooking #263 12:59pm
Thank God people have been educated on what to look for when a Tsunami is about to happen, how many lives were saved because they read the ocean and acted promptly by leaving for higher ground. Our thought are with the whole of Samoa and their families in NZ. Please NZ send help as soon as possible, to minimise the suffering . RB
pisces #262 12:57pm
I dont think there is anything wrong with "Stuff" commenting on people from the Survivor series...they are people too!!! Im sure if one of your family members were involved in the series you would want to know that they were ok..WAKE UP PEOPLE!!
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View Aftermath of Samoa quake in a larger map Tsunami Arrival Times
View Tsunami Arrival Times in a larger map Cameraman describes havoc Related LinksWaves hit Tonga, damage but no casualties Sea disappeared, then swallowed resort Red Cross donations Further tsunami expected for New Zealand NZ poised to help Samoa - govt Relevant offers
South PacificWaves hit Tonga, damage but no casualties Fiji unfairly blocked from UN role: Bainimarama EU extends Fiji sanctions Earthquake rocks Bali Virgin Mary spotted in Samoa Tonga ferry replacement bids Gitmo prisoners head for Pacific island Samoa passes left-switch driving test Fiji human rights abuses worsen Cacophony as Samoa switches The death toll from a massive South Pacific earthquake and tsunami has risen to at least 34 in both Samoa and American Samoa.
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Are you in Samoa, or do you know anyone in Samoa who has been affected by the tsunami? Email your comments, photos and video to editorial@stuff.co.nz
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The death toll is expected to rise.
"We are on our way to the south coast where our people have told us of 11 deaths and we heard on the radio of another three," the secretary general of the Red Cross in Samoa, Talutala Mauala told AFP.
"There have also been some injuries. We won't know the full extent of the damage until we get there and see for ourselves."
Russell Hunter, editor of the Samoan Observer, said it was difficult to get information. Internet and phone connections were patchy.
The latest he had heard was that at least 17 were confirmed dead.
“But it will undoubtedly go much higher than that. The damage is very, very widespread particularly on the south-east coast (of Upolu),” he said.
The south-east coast is an area with several holiday resorts as well as numerous villages.
Among the dead is the owner of the Sinalei resort Joe Annandale, who reportedly lost his life after his resort was levelled by the tsunami.
Radio KSBS-FM reported at least 14 people were killed in the Poloa, Asili, Pago Pago and Leone areas of American Samoa.
A Samoan reporter said tsunami victims "are everywhere" in a hospital near a hard-hit area.
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 this morning.
Lesa said he had visited the town's main hospital where "there are bodies everywhere", including at least one child.
New Zealand's deputy high commissioner to the Samoan capital Apia, David Dolphin, said he was aware of reports five people were killed in Samoa.
Most of the damage appeared to be centred on the island's southern coast where waves of six-to-eight metres were recorded.
"There are reports of some quite serious damage, at least five fatalities and quite a few reports of people missing," said Dolphin, who was on the north coast at the time.
The earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.3 struck at 6.48am and was followed by tsunamis in Samoa and neighbouring American Samoa.
At least two Kiwis have been taken to hospital in Samoa following the tsunami.
They are believed to be an elderly woman and a pregnant woman who were staying a resort near Lalomanu.
It is believed they were suffering from shock and were not seriously injured.
Three South Koreans are among the dead in American Samoa, an official at Seoul's foreign ministry said.
A number of Australians were also injured.
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Lyall Preston and a group of holidaymakers from Dargaville in Northland watched from higher ground as the tsunami hit their Sinalei resort located on Samoa's southern coastline.
The group then witnessed the bodies of three young children wash towards them.
Speaking to Dargaville and Districts News, Collen Preston said her son found three little children dead.
"He is just traumatised".
"My son noticed early this morning that the tide had gone right out so he organised for the group to run to higher ground and they watched as the tsunami hit."
Ms Preston believes the group were not warned that a tsunami was coming.
"Most of the hotel they were staying at was washed away."
VILLAGE FLATTENED
New Zealander Graeme Ansell said the Samoan 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 100 metres 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 neighbors, 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.
In its preliminary earthquake report, the US Geological Survey put the epicentre 204 kilometres south-southwest of Samoa's capital Apia and at a depth of 85 kilometres.
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» View interactive map
» Video: Cameraman describes havoc
» New Zealand downgrades tsunami alert
» Sea disappeared, then swallowed Samoa resort
» Donate to Red Cross Appeal
» Full coverage
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TSUNAMI HITS SAMOA
A tsunami was observed at Apia, Samoa, and at Pago Pago, American Samoa, according to the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre, a branch of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The waves at Pago Pago were 1.57m above normal sea level, according to the Pacific Western Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii.
The centre earlier issued a tsunami warning for New Zealand, American Samoa and other small Pacific islands. It later cancelled the warning.
A spokeswoman for Samoa Police told Stuff.co.nz that villages on the country’s southern coast had been hit by a tsunami.
"We cannot say much more, we’re extremely busy, but, yes, we have been hit," she said.
Polynesia Radio in Apia told Stuff that they were receiving reports from Siumu and Lotofaga that a tsunami had come ashore.
Both are on the south side of Upolu island, exposed to the area where the earthquake hit this morning.
In Fagatogo, water reached the waterfront town's meeting field and covered portions of the main highway, which also was plagued by rock slides.
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.
In the northern Tongan island of Vavau the earthquake has also been severely felt.
The New Zealand Government had held major concerns for the tiny low-lying Pacific states of Tokelau and Tuvalu, but a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said reports from both countries confirmed they had not been hit by a tsunami.
It appeared they had escaped damage as they are to the north of Samoa and the earthquake was to the south of Samoa.
SURVIVOR: SAMOA
Filming of a new season of Survivor: Samoa – the second in a row to be filmed on Samoa’s Upolu Island – was not affected by the tsunami.
A CBS spokesperson said: “Everyone's okay. Survivor crew are okay and filming was not affected.”
Around 400 Survivor crew controversially took over Aggie Grey’s Lagoon to film two back-to-back seasons of the hit reality show
- By MICHAEL FIELD, Stuff.co.nz with NZPA, AP
Next South Pacific story:
Australians injured in tsunami
World HomepageSponsored links
AirNZPartnerSponsLinkStuffROS_140909.html AirNZs best deals in one place - Blackboard Deals Share this page Email Facebook MySpace Digg StumbleUpon Delicious Reddit Linkedin Twitter 271 comments
Post a comment Expand All Newest First
Oldest First tay #271 13 min ago
hi im so sorry that thoose people died just cause of a tsunami
there even mit be one in newzealand sad.
so thats all i have to say by
lotofaga_lion #270 16 min ago
There's no news about Savai'i - so am I right to assume that there haven't been any casualties there then? I've also heard that Lotofaga has been evacuated but like most news, it's unconfirmed. Any updates would be appreciated.
rhi #269 17 min ago
hello i think this is real real scary! hopefulli it doesent hit us if it does i will be freaked out cuzz i hate stormz and things lyk that lol
i feel so bad for the people in samoa its sooooo sad that some people have died over a tsunami
byeee
Nivea #268 17 min ago
I have family in Falealili, Vaovai aparently it has also been hit. I have not heard from any family yet. My prayers are with all those in Samoa and American Samoa.
People Matter #267 1:13pm
Alofas to our Samoa xxxxx
Tsu Nami #266 1:12pm
I certainly hope Surge & Rescue have been put on alert!
lua #265 1:10pm
Heard that faleasiu was badly affected I have family there very devastating time for everyone. I also have family in Malie, Falevao, Vaitele, and Fusi in Savaii......if anybody has heard anything in regards to these villages could you please update me?...
jagilby #264 1:04pm
Re: Loveeely (#238) and Re Loveeely (#251). It's called sarcasm. Read between the lines... I wasn't joking at all, I was making the point that the media shouldn't focus on Survivor at a time like this and followed it up with the fact that prayers and thoughts are with the family. Also - Those people who lined the beaches to see the Tsunami are raving mad... do you go and stand on railway tracks to see a train coming?
raewyn brooking #263 12:59pm
Thank God people have been educated on what to look for when a Tsunami is about to happen, how many lives were saved because they read the ocean and acted promptly by leaving for higher ground. Our thought are with the whole of Samoa and their families in NZ. Please NZ send help as soon as possible, to minimise the suffering . RB
pisces #262 12:57pm
I dont think there is anything wrong with "Stuff" commenting on people from the Survivor series...they are people too!!! Im sure if one of your family members were involved in the series you would want to know that they were ok..WAKE UP PEOPLE!!
Ad Feedback
Show 212-261 of 271 comments Post comment
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Email:
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