Massive 8.3 Earthquake Near Samoa Sparks 10 Foot Tsunami

UPDATE: A witness told Radio New Zealand that villages on the south-east coast of Samoa's Upolu had been flattened by the earthquake and that police were moving people to higher ground.

Shaking near the epicenter reportedly lasted up to three minutes.

A number of aftershocks also hit the area after the initial earthquake. "We are seeing a lot of activity in the area," a spokesman for the United States Geological Survey said, who also warned that more stronger aftershocks should be expected. So far, three moderate earthquakes have been recorded with preliminary magnitudes of 5.6, 5.6 and 5.8.

UPDATE 2: Dozens have been killed and entire villages have been wiped out. Read more here.

Original story:

A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3 struck near the Samoan Islands region on Tuesday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake resulted in a nearly 10-foot (3-meter) tsunami, measured from crest to trough, says Chip McCreery, Director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Experts are now trying to ascertain whether or not the tsunami may pose any risk to Hawaii.

There were no immediate reports of any damage from the large earthquake.

The quake was recorded at about 6:48 a.m. (1:28 p.m. EDT) at a depth of about 7.4 miles (11.9 km), says the USGS.

The Samoa islands comprise two separate entities - the nation of Samoa and American Samoa, a US territory - with a total population of about 250,000 people.

In 2004, a quake in the Indian Ocean generated a powerful tsunami that killed tens of thousands people in Asia.