Tragic Tsunami in Samoan Islands
I have friends there in Pago Pago. This is horrifying.
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Deadly tsunami in Pacific islands
Devastation hit Pago Pago in American Samoa
A tsunami triggered by a strong quake in the South Pacific has killed at least 65 people in Samoa and more than 20 in American Samoa, say reports. The Samoan authorities say at least another 145 people have been injured and whole villages destroyed. American Samoa's delegate to the US Congress said thousands of people had been left homeless in the territory.
An 8.3-magnitude quake struck at 1748 GMT, generating 15ft (4.5m) waves in some areas of the islands. The Samoa islands comprise two separate entities - the nation of Samoa and American Samoa, a US territory - with a total population of about 250,000 people. A tsunami warning was initially issued for the wider region but cancelled a few hours later.
The general manager of Samoa's National Health Service told the BBC that 65 people had died and 145 people were injured. President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in American Samoa, enabling federal funding to made available to help victims.
Floating cars
"Some of the areas there are only a few feet above sea level, so you can imagine the devastation," said Eni Faleomavaega, who represents American Samoa in the US. "It caused severe damage to property, there are cars floating everywhere."
The high waves damaged property and swept cars out to sea
Mr Faleomavaega told the BBC the waves had "literally wiped out all the low-lying areas in the Samoan islands," causing 11 deaths and injuring "several hundred".
He said the tsunami had hit within minutes of the quake, leaving people with no time to escape. "There would have been no warning system capable of giving adequate warning to the people," he said.
Dr Lemalu Fiu, at a hospital in the Samoan capital, Apia, said the number of casualties was expected to rise as people arrived from coastal areas.
Talutala Mauala, Secretary General of the Red Cross in Samoa, said she was travelling to the country's south coast, where many injuries were reported. "We won't know the full extent of the damage until we get there and see for ourselves," she said. Ms Mauala said it could take many months for people to rebuild their homes.
An Associated Press reporter said he had seen "bodies everywhere" in the main hospital in Lalomanu, on Samoa's main island of Upolu, including at least one child. Several foreign tourists are thought to be among the dead.
Beaches gone
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) said the quake struck at a depth of 33km (20 miles) some 190km (120 miles) from Apia. Waves of 5.1ft (1.57m) hit Apia and Pago Pago in American Samoa.
"The water was swirling like a spa pool outwards [towards] the rim of the lagoon and in a few seconds the water sunk," said Ula Osasa-Mano, Eyewitness.
Radio New Zealand quoted Samoan residents as saying that villages were inundated and homes and cars swept away.
Graeme Ansell, a New Zealander near Apia, told the radio station the beach village of Sau Sau Beach Fale had been "wiped out". "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 around here," he said.
Samoalive News said local radio stations had been receiving reports of high sea swells hitting coastal areas on the eastern and southern side of Upolu island. "School has been called off for the day with tsunami warnings calling for people to head to higher grounds," the website said.
Witnesses have reported scenes of destruction.
"It's horrible... The village is gone and my once beautiful beach front villa has now been submerged in water," Josh Nayangu told the BBC after fleeing the area on a small fishing boat with his wife and son.
Ula Osasa-Mano, who was visiting family on the island, told the BBC the water along the Apia seawall was turbulent. "The water was kind of swirling like a spa pool outwards [towards] the rim of the lagoon and in a few seconds the water sunk," Ula Osasa-Mano said.
The PTWC - a branch of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - issued a general alert for the South Pacific region, but it was cancelled by 2200 GMT.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8281616.stm
Tsunami leaves scores dead in South Pacific
By Peter Smith in Sydney
Published: September 29 2009 21:13 | Last updated: September 30 2009 04:15
An 8.3 magnitude sub-sea earthquake 190km off Samoa that caused towering tsunami waves has left dozens dead and destroyed villages in the remote islands of the South Pacific.
Samoa and American Samoa, a US territory, were the worst hit areas although it was unclear how badly many of the neighbouring islands, many of them low-lying and vulnerable to rising sea waters, were damaged. Tonga’s coast has been lashed by waves 4m high.
Unconfirmed reports hours after the dawn earthquake said 44 people had been killed as buildings were toppled and cars and homes were swept out to sea. Some of the fatalities were caused by the initial earthquake, which triggered landslides and threw people from their cars as roads splintered.
Many people are still missing and the death toll from the disaster could climb towards 100, according to one offical in Samoa. Emergency services were sifting through rubble as villagers who sought the sanctuary of higher ground returned to devasated communities. Rescue efforts have been hampered as electricity cables came down and telecommunication systems failed.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, part of the US National Weather Service, said waves 5m high had been recorded soon after the earthquake struck. It initially issued a general tsunami warning for a large swathe of the South Pacific stretching 3,000km, as far away as New Zealand.
However, the centre later cancelled its wider regional warning after the feared large waves dissipated within a small radius around the earthquake zone.
Coastal residents in New Zealand had awoken to be told to head for higher ground ahead of waves reaching the east coast of the north island.
The natural disaster comes nearly five years after a tsunami in Asia sparked by an Indian Ocean earthquake killed more than 200,000 people in 11 countries.
Earlier in 2004, a category 5 cyclone hit Tonga, Samoa and Niue, a tiny South Pacific atoll, that left thousands homeless.
Wednesday’s earthquake struck around dawn about 35km below the ocean floor and 190km from American Samoa, which has 65,000 residents. It was followed by three aftershocks of 5.6 or larger.
“It was an earthquake, which caused a tidal wave 15 feet (4.5m) in height,” Eni Faleomavaega, American Samoa’s delegate to the US Congress, told AFP.
“Some of the areas there are only a few feet above sea level, so you can imagine the devastation,” the delegate said. ”It caused severe damage to property, there are cars floating everywhere.”
Vincent Ilui, a villager from Leone in American Samoa, told Australian radio he believed six people from his village died.
“The wave just broke at shore line and just buried any structure that was built along the shore line,” he said. “The wave went through it, even ended up going through churches, traditional homes and even the modern homes, so it’s a big mess at the moment because as it receded it collected everything in its way, in its path.”
Stephen Smith, Australia’s foreign minister, told ABC radio the country would send a taskforce to Samoa within 24 hours.
“In Samoa, it’s really been the south-east of the island that has been hit and that’s unfortunately where most of the luxury and budget resorts are,” he said.
Bob McMullan, Australia’s parliamentary secretary for international development assistance, told Sky News said he had yet to receive an official request for help.
He added the magnitude of the emergency would present problems for any country.
”This is an enormous catastrophe for a small country,” he said. ”Samoa and American Samoa both put their disaster plans in place but they’re small countries for the scale of the problem they are confronting, so they will require assistance.”
Ausegalia Mulipola, assistant chief executive of Samoa’s disaster management office, said: “It’s believed, as of now, there could be a number close to 100 deaths.”
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61f8c060-ad33-11de-9caf-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss&nclick_check=1
_______________________________________________
Deadly tsunami in Pacific islands
Devastation hit Pago Pago in American Samoa
A tsunami triggered by a strong quake in the South Pacific has killed at least 65 people in Samoa and more than 20 in American Samoa, say reports. The Samoan authorities say at least another 145 people have been injured and whole villages destroyed. American Samoa's delegate to the US Congress said thousands of people had been left homeless in the territory.
An 8.3-magnitude quake struck at 1748 GMT, generating 15ft (4.5m) waves in some areas of the islands. The Samoa islands comprise two separate entities - the nation of Samoa and American Samoa, a US territory - with a total population of about 250,000 people. A tsunami warning was initially issued for the wider region but cancelled a few hours later.
The general manager of Samoa's National Health Service told the BBC that 65 people had died and 145 people were injured. President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in American Samoa, enabling federal funding to made available to help victims.
Floating cars
"Some of the areas there are only a few feet above sea level, so you can imagine the devastation," said Eni Faleomavaega, who represents American Samoa in the US. "It caused severe damage to property, there are cars floating everywhere."
The high waves damaged property and swept cars out to sea
Mr Faleomavaega told the BBC the waves had "literally wiped out all the low-lying areas in the Samoan islands," causing 11 deaths and injuring "several hundred".
He said the tsunami had hit within minutes of the quake, leaving people with no time to escape. "There would have been no warning system capable of giving adequate warning to the people," he said.
Dr Lemalu Fiu, at a hospital in the Samoan capital, Apia, said the number of casualties was expected to rise as people arrived from coastal areas.
Talutala Mauala, Secretary General of the Red Cross in Samoa, said she was travelling to the country's south coast, where many injuries were reported. "We won't know the full extent of the damage until we get there and see for ourselves," she said. Ms Mauala said it could take many months for people to rebuild their homes.
An Associated Press reporter said he had seen "bodies everywhere" in the main hospital in Lalomanu, on Samoa's main island of Upolu, including at least one child. Several foreign tourists are thought to be among the dead.
Beaches gone
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) said the quake struck at a depth of 33km (20 miles) some 190km (120 miles) from Apia. Waves of 5.1ft (1.57m) hit Apia and Pago Pago in American Samoa.
"The water was swirling like a spa pool outwards [towards] the rim of the lagoon and in a few seconds the water sunk," said Ula Osasa-Mano, Eyewitness.
Radio New Zealand quoted Samoan residents as saying that villages were inundated and homes and cars swept away.
Graeme Ansell, a New Zealander near Apia, told the radio station the beach village of Sau Sau Beach Fale had been "wiped out". "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 around here," he said.
Samoalive News said local radio stations had been receiving reports of high sea swells hitting coastal areas on the eastern and southern side of Upolu island. "School has been called off for the day with tsunami warnings calling for people to head to higher grounds," the website said.
Witnesses have reported scenes of destruction.
"It's horrible... The village is gone and my once beautiful beach front villa has now been submerged in water," Josh Nayangu told the BBC after fleeing the area on a small fishing boat with his wife and son.
Ula Osasa-Mano, who was visiting family on the island, told the BBC the water along the Apia seawall was turbulent. "The water was kind of swirling like a spa pool outwards [towards] the rim of the lagoon and in a few seconds the water sunk," Ula Osasa-Mano said.
The PTWC - a branch of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - issued a general alert for the South Pacific region, but it was cancelled by 2200 GMT.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8281616.stm
Tsunami leaves scores dead in South Pacific
By Peter Smith in Sydney
Published: September 29 2009 21:13 | Last updated: September 30 2009 04:15
An 8.3 magnitude sub-sea earthquake 190km off Samoa that caused towering tsunami waves has left dozens dead and destroyed villages in the remote islands of the South Pacific.
Samoa and American Samoa, a US territory, were the worst hit areas although it was unclear how badly many of the neighbouring islands, many of them low-lying and vulnerable to rising sea waters, were damaged. Tonga’s coast has been lashed by waves 4m high.
Unconfirmed reports hours after the dawn earthquake said 44 people had been killed as buildings were toppled and cars and homes were swept out to sea. Some of the fatalities were caused by the initial earthquake, which triggered landslides and threw people from their cars as roads splintered.
Many people are still missing and the death toll from the disaster could climb towards 100, according to one offical in Samoa. Emergency services were sifting through rubble as villagers who sought the sanctuary of higher ground returned to devasated communities. Rescue efforts have been hampered as electricity cables came down and telecommunication systems failed.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, part of the US National Weather Service, said waves 5m high had been recorded soon after the earthquake struck. It initially issued a general tsunami warning for a large swathe of the South Pacific stretching 3,000km, as far away as New Zealand.
However, the centre later cancelled its wider regional warning after the feared large waves dissipated within a small radius around the earthquake zone.
Coastal residents in New Zealand had awoken to be told to head for higher ground ahead of waves reaching the east coast of the north island.
The natural disaster comes nearly five years after a tsunami in Asia sparked by an Indian Ocean earthquake killed more than 200,000 people in 11 countries.
Earlier in 2004, a category 5 cyclone hit Tonga, Samoa and Niue, a tiny South Pacific atoll, that left thousands homeless.
Wednesday’s earthquake struck around dawn about 35km below the ocean floor and 190km from American Samoa, which has 65,000 residents. It was followed by three aftershocks of 5.6 or larger.
“It was an earthquake, which caused a tidal wave 15 feet (4.5m) in height,” Eni Faleomavaega, American Samoa’s delegate to the US Congress, told AFP.
“Some of the areas there are only a few feet above sea level, so you can imagine the devastation,” the delegate said. ”It caused severe damage to property, there are cars floating everywhere.”
Vincent Ilui, a villager from Leone in American Samoa, told Australian radio he believed six people from his village died.
“The wave just broke at shore line and just buried any structure that was built along the shore line,” he said. “The wave went through it, even ended up going through churches, traditional homes and even the modern homes, so it’s a big mess at the moment because as it receded it collected everything in its way, in its path.”
Stephen Smith, Australia’s foreign minister, told ABC radio the country would send a taskforce to Samoa within 24 hours.
“In Samoa, it’s really been the south-east of the island that has been hit and that’s unfortunately where most of the luxury and budget resorts are,” he said.
Bob McMullan, Australia’s parliamentary secretary for international development assistance, told Sky News said he had yet to receive an official request for help.
He added the magnitude of the emergency would present problems for any country.
”This is an enormous catastrophe for a small country,” he said. ”Samoa and American Samoa both put their disaster plans in place but they’re small countries for the scale of the problem they are confronting, so they will require assistance.”
Ausegalia Mulipola, assistant chief executive of Samoa’s disaster management office, said: “It’s believed, as of now, there could be a number close to 100 deaths.”
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61f8c060-ad33-11de-9caf-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss&nclick_check=1