A tsunami following an earthquake in the Pacific Ocean has caused some deaths in Samoa, but there is no word of how many died.
The powerful 8.3 magnitude earthquake struck in the Pacific off American Samoa.
Tony Manson, a TVNZ employee in Samoa, was on the beach when he felt the earthquake.
He saw waves breaking before the reef and the sea receding so ran for the hills.
Manson says it took only 30 seconds to get from beach chalets to hills before it completely devastated villages and locals are missing their family members.
He says a large fale was completely wiped out and it was a big construction made of concrete
Tvnz.co.nz spoke to local resident Ampe Roma who was in his office in Apia, Samoa when he felt the strong quake.
Roma says the quake lasted over five minutes then Apia was evacuated by police and people sent to higher ground inland.
Local reports say the wave that hit in Apia was 0.7 of a metre while the second, larger wave in Pago Pago was measured at 1.7 metres.
ONE News camerman Rico Tupai, who is in Apia, Samoa, says high waves have damaged houses and villages.
There are unconfirmed reports of people being killed or injured as the tsunami appears to have come up from the south side of the island.
Emergency evacuation procedures are in place and church bells are ringing as people head to higher ground.
The epicentre of the quake was located 190 km southwest of American Samoa. It struck at a depth of 33 km. An earthquake of this magnitude is capable of causing a tsunami.
The tsumani warning is in effect for New Zealand American Samoa, Samoa, Niue Island, the Wallis and Futuna Islands, the Tokelau atolls, the Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Kermadec Islands, the Baker and Howland Islands, Jarvis Island, French Polynesia and the Palmyra Islands, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.
- Mila
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