The tsunami was triggered by an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.1, reports The Times. A general tsunami alert has been issued from American Samoa to New Zealand.
It is feared that the death toll will rise dramatically – power and communication outages have hampered attempts to assess the full extent of the damage. Buildings were flattened while cars and people were swept away by the waters.
Eyewitnesses spoke of the devastation on Samoa: “The whole village has been wiped out,” one tourist said. Another survivor told the paper: “We don’t have a resort anymore. Every single thing has gone. The boat, the bungalows, the restaurant – it is gone.”
Officials have confirmed that at least 20 Britons were in Samoa at the time of the tsunami. A two year old British child is reported to be missing on the island. Many survivors fled to high ground.
The Australian and New Zealand governments are today preparing to send aid to Samoa. US president Barack Obama has ordered federal aid to American Samoa, a US territory.