American Samoa Tsunami hits Samoa Islands, People killed
September 29, 2009 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
American Samoa Tsunami hits Samoa Islands, People killed, A powerful 8.0 magnitude earthquake generated Pacific Tsunami Wednesday, killing an unknown number of people in American and Western Samoa and sending others fleeing to higher ground, officials said.
An official of the U.S. National Park Service said there had been deaths in American Samoa, but there was no word on how many. Similarly, a local police spokeswoman in the nearby Western Samoa said the tsunami had killed an unknown number of people there.
“I can confirm that there is damage, I can confirm that there are dead and I can confirm that there are victims,” police spokeswoman from the phone. “I can not say more at this time.”
A tsunami was observed at Apia, Western Samoa, and Pago Pago, American Samoa, according to West Coast / Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, a branch of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The waves at Pago Pago was 5.1 feet (1.57 m) above normal levels, according to the Western Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii.
Mid previously issued a tsunami warning for New Zealand, American Samoa and other small islands in the Pacific Ocean.
American Samoa is a small U.S. territory, which lies halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. It is home to around 65,000 people.
Holly Bundock, spokeswoman for the National Park Service’s Pacific West Region Oakland in California, said “I would say we are scared,” adds the service had heard from Mike Reynolds, director of the National Park of American Samoa.
Reynolds told a Yellowstone dispatch operator to four tsunami waves, each 15 (4.6 meters) to 20 feet (6 meters) high and reached the half mile (0.8 kilometers) to the mile (1.6 miles) inside the island Tutuila, where is Pago Pago.
“The National Park of American Samoa Visitor Center and its office seems to be totally destroyed,” Bundock said.
Reynolds reported deaths, but had no confirmation of numbers, she said. “He is completely cut off from the rest of the island,” Bundock said.
The island nation of Western Samoa, some residents told Radio New Zealand, they had felt a big jolt and was recommended by the authorities to move to higher ground.
American Samoa Tsunami hits Samoa Islands, People killed was first posted on September 30, 2009 at 3:09 am.
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