Samoa Placed on UK Foreign Office Warning List

The UK Foreign Office is now advising all of its citizens not to travel to Samoa unless it is on essential business. This warning also goes for American Samoa and Tonga as well. This warning came into affect a day after a series of bad earthquakes and a tsunami flattened many villages. During the tsunami many cars and people were swept out to sea.

According to recent reports, more than 400 people have been killed as a result of the giant tsunami that hit Samoa. This huge tsunami was triggered by an earthquake that had a magnitude between 8 and 8.3. Rescuers have been doing all that they can to find any kind of survivors in the heavy rain fall. Finding any survivors has proven to be difficult due to all the rubble that has been caused by the powerful quake.

Right now in Indonesia, about 450 people have been confirmed dead, but thousands of people are still missing. Some of these people are still known to be alive – trapped under rubble from broken buildings. Officials have already pointed out that they are sure that the death total for the island will rise.

The British honorary consul in Samoa, Stephen Rogers, did confirm that the earthquake shocked the whole island of Samoa. He went on to say that it was a huge earthquake that was followed by a big tsunami about 20 to 30 minutes later. Buildings have been crushed and people are missing. Anyone that does not have to come to Samoa should stay away while the mess is cleaned up, and rescue teams are still looking for missing people.