A powerful quake in the South Pacific hurled massive tsunami waves at the shores of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, flattening villages and sweeping cars and people back out to sea while leaving scores dead and dozens missing.
APIA, Samoa – Police searched a ghastly landscape of mud-strewn streets, pulverized homes and bodies scattered in a swamp Wednesday as dazed survivors emerged from the muck and mire of an earthquake and tsunami that killed at least 120 in the South Pacific. Military transports flew medical personnel, food, water and medicine to Samoa and American Samoa, both devastated by a tsunami triggered by an undersea earthquake. A cargo plane from New Zealand brought in a temporary morgue and a body identification team.
Disaster officials rushed food, medicine and a temporary morgue to the Samoas on Wednesday after a powerful earthquake unleashed a tsunami that flattened villages and swept cars and people out to sea. At least 99 people were killed.