'Mom, please': Islanders of US Samoa remember 176 killed by tsunami after quake

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-05 06:59

LEONE, American Samoa: Islanders of American Samoa mourned at a weekend prayer service for victims of the tsunami that obliterated villages on the shores of the South Pacific.

Families are still coming to terms with the sudden losses inflicted by Tuesday's tsunami waves that roared ashore after an underwater earthquake with a magnitude of up to 8.3. The disaster claimed at least 176 lives, in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.

In Samoa, scores of grieving people made a heartbreaking decision to sign over victims of the tsunami to the state for burial rather than take them back to ravaged villages for traditional funerals - a radical departure from Samoan tradition.

Government minister Fiana Naomi said Saturday she expected about half of Samoa's 135 victims would be buried in mass graves of up to 20 in a new cemetery in the capital Apia on Thursday following a memorial service in a nearby sports stadium. The state would carry the costs.

"The government sees the devastated areas, there are no buildings there, some villages might be relocated, people have lost everything and they can't hold ceremonies in the usual ways," Naomi said, tears welling in her eyes. "Usually they're very large communal ceremonies, but this is memorializing this event to serve as a constant reminder to us that we need to be prepared for natural disasters."

Among the mourners is Taitasi Suapaia Fitiao, who is preparing for every parent's nightmare - burying her young child. Her 6-year-old daughter, Vaijoresa, was ripped from her arms by the tsunami. As she floated away, out of reach, Vaijoresa pleaded, "Mom, please."

(China Daily 10/05/2009 page1)