Samoan teacher Kalolo Punefu says she feels lucky to be alive after wall of water destroyed her village.

84-year-old South Auckland grandmother is among those confirmed dead.

Ana Lulai and Rachel Loane were cousins and best friends. They had just finished breakfast on Wednesday and were preparing for school. Then the waves hit.

A naked 84-year-old Lemafa Atia'e wasn't afraid as he clung for his life to his neighbour's steel house post while waves crashed over him.

"I knew something was coming. Something in my head said: if the quake is that big, it means it was close."

The death toll from this week's devastating tsunamis rose to at least 180 yesterday, as a fresh earthquake rattled the region around Samoa.

Lucky survivors of Samoa's deadly tsunami looked like they'd been "churned up in a mass of dirty washing machines" says a surgeon helping on the ground.

More tales of survival and tragedy emerge from the tsunami battered islands.

Na toetoe ina tutulu le Palemia a Samoa Afioga Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi i le po anapo a o fai lana saunoaga i le atunuu.

Members of Parliament are working alongside members of the public as a huge international relief effort gets under way in Samoa and Tonga.

Andy and Angie Belcher didn't even have time to unpack their bags before the tsunami hit.

Salamasina Taufua tried desperately to keep her 8-month-old baby above water before Samoa's tsunami forced her to let her go.

As day breaks the clean-up begins in the coastal area of south-east Upolu Island, which bore the brunt of the post-quake sea surge.

A journalist with the Samoan Observer describes the fear and heartbreak as the terrible events unfolded.