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APIA - Flights to Samoa are normally happy, full of people heading for well-earned holidays in the sun.
But yesterday's Air New Zealand flight from Auckland was sombre, as grieving family members returned to Samoa to look for bodies and attend funerals.
Fili Tupa, 18, was heading to his home
village of Lalomanu to trawl through the wreckage in hope of recovering the bodies of some of his 17 family members killed by the tsunami.
His mother, Lafotua Aiesi, 45, had been looking after six of her nephews and nieces - including two babies - when the waves broke over the house where they were sleeping, killing them all.
Four other adults in the house were also swept to their deaths. Six other family members in a nearby house also died, including four children.
Mr Tupa, who moved to Christchurch two years ago when he was adopted by his aunt, wore sunglasses throughout yesterday's flight, covering his eyes which were red from weeping.
The pilot expressed his condolences to those grieving. "For whatever reason you are going to Samoa," he said over the loudspeaker, "our thoughts are with you, your friends, your family. We wish you a safe journey."
Mr Tupa and his aunt Arina Tupa were heading straight to hospital where his mother's body lay.
The other 16 family members were still missing last night.
The pair wanted to find them as soon as possible so they could bury them in front of Mrs Tupa's house in Lalomanu.
"They tried to get out, they can't, especially the old people. They walk quickly, the waves come, they yell 'Help'," said Arina Tupa.
"They were all asleep. One of my cousins said they tried to run away but they had only a short time. Then the wave came through the house.
"It's very hard to think about it. I have to be strong. I can't believe this has happened to my people."
Taxi driver Faamanu Kuresa said his colleague Siu Laufiso lost his three children and mother. Mr Laufiso's wife was at the hospital with several broken bones after she was found underneath the fale.
Mr Laufiso was the only one who woke up when the earthquake hit.
"He saw his children being swept away. He just said goodbye to his kids, he couldn't do anything," said Mr Kuresa.
The bodies of his children, aged 11, 6 and 2, were found in the water yesterday by an RNZAF Orion.
Mr Kuresa was supposed to pick up four Australian tourists from Lalomanu to take to the airport in Apia on the morning of the tsunami.
"I was dropping my children to school and I felt the van rocking then I heard on the radio what had happened.
"You see the people on the TV, the news reporters trying to tell the story, but even they start crying. The whole country is hurting."
How you can help
Pacific Cooperation Foundation
Deposits can be made at at any Westpac branch. All the money raised will go to the Samoan Government
Red Cross
- Make a secure online donation at redcross.org.nz
- Send cheques to the Samoan Red Cross Fund, PO Box 12140, Thorndon, Wellington 6144
- Call 0900 31 100 to make an automatic $20 donation
- Make a donation at any NZ Red Cross office
ANZ bank
Make a donation at any ANZ bank branch, or donate directly to the ANZ appeal account: 01 1839 0143546 00
Oxfam
- Make a secure online donation at
Oxfam.org.nz
- Phone 0800 400 666 or make an automatic $20 donation by calling 0900 600 20
