September 30, 2009--A building lies in ruins in the village of Leone, American Samoa, yesterday after a tsunami swept over the South Pacific Island. The tsunami had been triggered by a magnitude 8.3 earthquake that struck around 6:40 a.m. local time. (See video of the tsunami aftermath in the Samoan islands and Tonga.)

Tsunami waves--some reportedly 15 feet (4.5 meters) tall--flattened villages and killed scores of people in American Samoa, a U.S. territory, and the independent island nation of Samoa (Samoa location on map). At least 34 and up to 120 people are feared dead across Samoa so far. Some tsunami-related deaths have also been reported on the neighboring islands of Tonga, according to the BBC.

More Tsunami Pictures, Facts, and Other Coverage
• Tsunami Safety Tips
• Tsunami Pictures: 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
• Tsunami Pictures: Tsunami Aerial Views
• Video: Sri Lanka Tsunami
• Video: Tsunami Seen From Balcony
• Tsunami to Hit Caribbean When Million-Ton Rock Falls?
• Did Animals Sense Tsunami Was Coming?
• Pictures: Tsunami Aftermath in Indonesia, January 2005
• Ancient Mediterranean Tsunami May Strike Again
• Pictures: Tsunami in the Solomons—Before and After