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UN chief deeply saddened by death in Samoa quake, tsunami
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-01 01:51

UNITED NATIONS:  UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life, injury and destruction of property in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga on Tuesday.

A statement, issued here by Ban's spokesperson, said that the secretary-general "extends his condolences to the families of those who have been killed, injured or rendered homeless."  

"The secretary-general is also closely following the impact of the earthquake that occurred near western Sumatra today," the statement said.  

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"The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is deploying an emergency team to Samoa," the statement said. " The United Nations stands ready to provide assistance as required and is already mobilizing to do so."

99 people were killed after a strong earthquake struck off the US Pacific island of American Samoa on Tuesday.

The US Geological Survey said the tremor, occurring at 10:48 am Pacific Time (1748 GMT), was measured at 8.0 on the Richter Scale and its epicenter was located 195 km southwest of the Samoa coast, with a depth of 18 km.

The temblor generated a nearly 3-meter tsunami -- measured from crest to trough -- according to preliminary data, said Chip McCreery, the director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii.