MOSCOW, September 30 (RIA Novosti) - At least 14 people were killed and 50 injured in Samoa by a devastating tsunami following a powerful earthquake in the South Pacific on Tuesday, the BBC has reported citing local sources.
According to the BBC, an 8.3-magnitude quake struck at 17.48 GMT, generating 5.1ft (1.57m) waves in Apia, the capital of Samoa, and Pago Pago, American Samoa.
Local radio in Pago Pago said five consecutive waves with the height of at least five meters (16.4 feet) hit the island destroying houses and cars, but most of the local residents managed to hide on a higher ground.
South Pacific is well known for its high seismic activity, registering 6,000-7,000 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.0 or above annually.
Two earthquakes, each measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, stroke off Bali and North Maluku on September 19, injuring at least seven people and sending many others fleeing their homes in panic.
A 7.9-magnitude tremor in March caused a tsunami, which hit the Tonga archipelago. No deaths or severe damage was reported then.
The most devastating tragedy occurred in December 2004, when an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia triggered a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people across Asia.
