Wed, 07 Oct 2009 5:39a.m.
A combined memorial service dedicated to all victims of last week's Pacific tsunami which struck Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga will be held on Sunday in Auckland.
The service, organised by Auckland's Samoan community, will start at 6pm at the Waitakere Trust Stadium.
"There was the thought of having two services but there were difficulties in trying to arrange that," Reverend Asora Amosa said.
"We decided that rather than scattering our communities it would be best if we brought everybody together at one venue."
He said although the service was being organised by the Samoan community it would be dedicated to everybody who lost their lives on that tragic day.
"We want to focus on and remember all the victims who suffered from this tragedy," Rev Amosa said.
"We chose the Waitakere Trust Stadium because of its capacity (5000 plus 1000 temporary) although we would have liked to have secured a larger venue."
The Samoan Tsunami 2009 Appeal Committee and the Samoan Consulate in Auckland were promoting and inviting guests to the memorial service.
Meanwhile Samoan sporting stars David Tua and Inga Tuigamala head to Samoa today to find out what it needs in the wake of the devastating tsunami.
Boxer Tua and former All Black and rugby league star Tuigamala will travel with the appeal committee, led by Consul General Faolotoi Reupena.
The committee will work with the Samoa National Relief Disaster Council to identify immediate relief needs and what New Zealand could do to help.
The delegation, which included New Zealand-based Samoan community leaders, would return on October 10.
In Samoa, a New Zealand Navy dive team has repaired a water pipeline to restore water to Manono Island, just off the main island of Upolu, after it fractured five days ago, leaving 800 locals without fresh water, a Defence Force statement said.
The dive team arrived on Saturday, cleared debris from the pipeline and repaired four fractures.
The job was completed on Sunday, but testing on the water was still required to ensure it was safe to drink.
The dive team would now relocate to assess damage to another water pipe to the island of Namu'a.
New Zealand army engineers and police teams were continuing to search for survivors on Samoa's southeast coast.
Air Force Iroquois helicopters were distributing aid, transporting engineers to check water tanks, providing aerial photos of affected areas and moving NZDF and NZ police personnel.
Defence Force medics and an air force Boeing 757 were also involved in the assistance effort.
NZPA
