A powerful undersea earthquake has triggered a tsunami in the Pacific Ocean, leaving more than 100 people dead and missing in the Samoan islands [Reuters]
Published On 1 Oct 20091 Oct 2009
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Waves up to five metres high swept inland minutes after the 8.3 magnitude quake struck midway between American Samoa and Samoa early on Tuesday local time [Reuters]
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The quake-generated tsunami caused sea levels to rise across the Pacific Ocean [Reuters]
Reports say entire villages were wiped out with officials saying the number of dead "could go much higher" [Reuters]
Witnesses described bodies buried in sand and hotels swept away by the tsunami [Reuters]
The last powerful sub-sea quake in December 2004 triggered a massive tsunami that left more than 200,000 dead in a dozen countries around the Indian Ocean [Reuters]
Authorities in New Zealand warned people who gathered to watch the tsunami to stay away from coastal areas [Reuters]
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The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an alert for islands across the South Pacific following the quake, but later cancelled the warning [Reuters]
