Bruce McCarthy, Chair - Pacific Islands Board Auckland City

As Chair and on behalf of all our member Pacific Island community leaders in Auckland, it is with deep sadness indeed that we have received news of this sudden and terrible tragedy in Samoa and Tonga.

Words just cannot express enough the anguish, fear and anxiety that some of you and those of your family members and relatives must be going through over loved ones who may have lost their lives or are still missing through this unfortunate tragedy.

To all our Samoan and Tongan brothers and sisters living here throughout New Zealand and especially to those over in the Islands who are immediately engaged with this tragedy, may I say this to you - Your pain is our pain, your hurt is our hurt, your sorrows are our sorrows and your fears are our fears too.

At this time, I ask that we all be united together in mind, spirit and in prayer to ask the good Lord that he comfort all the families affected by this unfortunate tragedy and to help strengthen their resolve and spirit to carry on with what work that still needs to be done.

Let us all continue to pray still for those who are missing.

May God bless us all.

Bruce ends

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