Tsunami Hits Samoa; Hawaii Cancels Watch

More than a hundred people in American Samoa were killed yesterday when a tsunami caused by an earthquake struck their beaches.

The Hawaii Star-Bulletin reported yesterday that an 8.3-magnitude earthquake off American Samoa   triggered a tsunami watch for the Hawaiian islands. The watch was later lifted.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in an 8:57 a.m. Hawaii time bulletin that a tsunami was generated and could be destructive to coastal areas away from the epicenter. However, scientists could not determine if the tsunami was a threat to Hawaii.

The epicenter of the quake was 120 miles southwest of the remote Pacific island. It struck at 7:48 a.m. Hawaii time at a depth of 20.5 miles. It was initially reported as a magnitude 7.9 but later upgraded to 8.3.