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Woman killed in flash flood in Samoa

A 19-year-old woman on holiday in Samoa has been drowned in a flash flood while swimming with six other family and friends.

The flash flood struck while the group was swimming in the Vaisigano River near Apia, the capital, about 3pm yesterday.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman confirmed the death and that a small group of other family members had been taken to hospital. They had since been discharged.

He could not confirm the age or names of the family or where they lived in New Zealand.

However, it is understood that the drowned person is a 19-year-old woman.

The High Commission in Samoa was aware of the incident and the family had been offered consular assistance, the spokesman said.

Tui Asau, a journalist at the Samoa Observer, said there were seven people swimming in the river, including five from the same family, and they were all swept away.

See story also in Samoa Observer: www.samoaobserver.com