Obama expresses sorrow for victims of Pacific disasters listen

Tags: Barack Obama

Barack Obama campaigned in Dunedin last September.

photo by Seán Kinane/WMNF

At least three strong earthquakes that have hit the western Pacific since yesterday have killed more than 1,100 people in Indonesia. That’s according to figures from United Nations humanitarian chief John Holmes. Thousands more are believed to be trapped in the rubble.

More than 150 people have died the Pacific islands of the Samoas, but as searches continue, that figure is expected to rise. Four tsunami waves of 15 to 20 feet hit the islands following a magnitude 8 quake earlier this week.

Today, President Barack Obama expressed his pity and concern for victims of two natural disasters in the western Pacific.