The two-year-old son of a British couple is feared dead as a massive relief operation began in the Samoan Islands following a devastating tsunami strike.
At least 119 people have been killed in the disaster and a raft of villages and resorts have been wiped out after an earthquake triggered waves up to 20 feet high.
Among the missing is a young boy who was swept away from his parent's arms as they were caught in the deluge while on a Samoan beach.
Rescue teams have moved in to provide medical help, food, shelter and water to the tens of thousands of people affected by the tsunami across the south Pacific islands.
A spokesman for the British High Commission in New Zealand said, contrary to earlier reports, the missing boy was a New Zealand citizen although his parents are British.
Sources said the boy's parents, who are staying at the New Zealand High Commission in Samoa, had managed to swim to safety and raise the alarm.
The FCO issued advice urging against "all but essential travel" to the area. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Queen spoke of their sadness. Authorities said 83 people were known to have died in Samoa, 30 in American Samoa and six in Tonga.
Thousands of people were left homeless as entire communities were destroyed. Buildings were flattened and cars swept away, while a large boat was washed up alongside a road. The tremor, with a magnitude of between eight and 8.3, struck about 120 miles from American Samoa, a US territory.
Stephen Rogers, the British honorary consul in Samoa, said there were no reports of any further British casualties. He added: "It was a very big earthquake and the tsunami came about 20 to 30 minutes later. It took anything in its path. Roads have been pretty much washed away. Houses have been washed away or knocked down."
Read More
Samoan prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said some people had managed to flee before the towering wave hit. He added: "Thankfully, the alarm sounded on the radio and gave people time to climb to higher ground, but not everyone escaped. So much has gone. So many people are gone. I'm so shocked, so saddened by all the loss."
