Towering tsunamis churned up by a huge earthquake slammed into the Samoan islands, killing at least 113 people as they wiped out entire villages and flattened tourist resorts.<br/>Monster waves that witnesses and officials said measured<br/>between three and 7.5 meters high pounded the remote Pacific<br/>islands of Samoa and Western Samoa after an 8.0-magnitude<br/>undersea quake struck.<br/><br/>While the quake toppled buildings and sent thousands fleeing to high ground as the tsunami approached, many others were hit by the walls of water that swept people and cars out to sea and obliterated coastal settlements.<br/><br/>US President Barack Obama called the incident in the outlying US territory of American Samoa a major disaster and vowed aggressive action to help survivors. Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said he was shocked beyond belief.<br/><br/><br/>