Quake-triggered Tsunami hits south Pacific Islands
Posted on 29. Sep, 2009 by Turbo in Buzz
Tsunami Warning Center, Hawaii confirms, that a strong earthquake of 8.3 magnitude originated in a remote island in the Pacific and it assumed form of a Tsunami to wreck several low-lying villages in the Pacific state of Samoa and American Samoa. Several villages were washed off without a trace.
The aftershocks of the big quake seem to be still continuing, according to Radio New Zealand. The epicenter of the quake was somewhere 204 km southwest of Pacific island; striking at 85 km deep.
It was the sea level readings that indicated of a tsunami and it threatens the distant coasts of the Pacific as well according to the Tsunami Warning Center, Hawaii.
The tsunami warning and watch came into effect for islands of respective Samoa, American Samoa, the Tonga Islands, the Cook Islands and Fiji in the southern archipelago of the Pacific. A watch had been issued to even farther islands including Papua New Guinea and the Hawaii.
It was the tourist coast of the Samoa which had the luxurious resorts in the south as well as the southeast that was washed off and there seems to concern among Australian authorities who fear the safety of the holidaying Australian tourists there.
The death toll from the 8.3 magnitude quake-triggered tsunami seem to be rising and Samoa reported 20 died from their worst hit main island Upolu, the American Samoa government reported 14 died and the Tonga authorities reported 10 deaths from Niuatoputatu island which actually borders the Samoa. As of now, 44 is the unofficial death toll number, but the number is only expected to increase.
The residents of Samoa and the American Samoa looked quite shaken after the 3-minute long tsunami.
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