Samoan police say 63 dead in tsunami, fear toll will rise as searches continue

Samoa police say 63 dead in tsunami, toll may rise

APIA, Samoa — A police official says 63 people are confirmed dead in Samoa following a tsunami that smashed the southern shore of the South Pacific nation.

Samoan police commissioner Lilo Maiava told The Associated Press that police have confirmed 63 deaths, and officials are still searching the devastated areas, so the number of deaths might rise soon.

A powerful Pacific Ocean earthquake with a magnitude between 8.0 and 8.3 spawned towering tsunami waves that swept ashore early Tuesday on Samoa and American Samoa, flooding and flattening villages, killing dozens of people and leaving scores of others missing.

At least 19 people also were killed in American Samoa.

Maiava says hundreds of injured are being treated by health workers and that people are still struggling into centers seeking treatment.