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Earthquake Magnitude 8.0 : Samoa Islands Region

Date           Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 17:48:11 UTC
Location     15.558°S, 172.073°W
Depth         18 km (11.2 miles) set by location program
Region        Samoa Islands Region
Distances  185 km (115 miles) ENE of Hihifo, Tonga
                  195 km (125 miles) S of APIA, Samoa
                  705 km (435 miles) NNE of NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga
                  2700 km (1670 miles) NNE of Auckland, New Zealand

Update 01/10/2009  |  Salani Surf Resort cleaned off the face of the earth.       (click here)
                                  |  The sea disappeared, then we saw the sea rising         (click here)
                                  |  UNESCO chief distressed by loss of life after tsunami   (click here) 

News 29/09/2009 : Tsunami strikes after massive earthquake in Southwest Pacific  |  Video report

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 29 September, 2009 : - - A huge under-sea earthquake generated a Pacific tsunami on Wednesday, killing an unknown number of people in American and Western Samoa as well as Fiji and sowing fear as far as New Zealand.  

There have been an unknown number of deaths in American Samoa. In nearby Western Samoa, there were also reports of deaths and houses destroyed. A Paddle for Peace report direct to Surfersvillage reported 40 deaths. In New Zealand, authorities ordered people in low-lying coastal homes and camping grounds to evacuate.

Early Westerm Samoa police reports confirmed there is damage, deaths and casualties. Building and houses have been destroyed by waves, as were houses and cars. People called radio stations to report high sea swells hitting the costal areas of Fagaloa and Siumu on the eastern side of Upolu island and along to the south, see www.samoalivenews.com

The tsunami caused waves of 5.1 feet (1.57 metres) above normal sea level off American Samoa, according to the Pacific Western Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii, triggering an alert that sent people across the region fleeing for higher ground. There were unconfirmed reports of even larger waves hitting American Samoa, reaching about 800 metres inland.

      
Damage after the tsunami on American Samoa : photos AP

Experts said the wave was not expected to be as large as the 2004 Asian tsunami, which killed about 230,000 people in 11 countries, but warned people across the region to either head for higher ground or stay away from the coast. New Zealand authorities expected a wave of about one metre to hit the country's east coast between 2040 GMT and 2140 GMT.

The Cook Islands and nearby Niue were also on alert but there no immediate reports of damage from either. The region is home to tens of thousands of islanders living at sea level.

More updates will be posted as they come in.

Residual damage after the tsunami waters withdrew : photo AFP/Getty Images

A boat ends up a long way from where it belongs : photo AFP

Related Stories:
# 1 : Scores dead, villages flattened in devastating Samoan tsunami 
# 2 : Little Impact Seen In Hawaii: Beachgoers In Waikiki Ignore Warnings
# 3 : Residents of Samoa describe the minutes before the deadly tsunami struck
# 4 : British toddler killed as he's dragged off beach in Samoa tsunami ...
# 5 : Salani Surf Resort has been washed clean off the face of the earth.

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Earthquakes / Tsunamis - Surfersvillage