A Briton on the Greek island of Samos witnessed a tsunami surge into the town in the wake of the nearby undersea earthquake on Friday 30 October.

The man filmed as the water poured over the harbour and into the town square, as people screamed and sirens sounded.

The man, freelance journalist Fareid Atta, also captured firefighters at the scene of a partially collapsed building where a woman was believed to be trapped.

On camera he described what happened when the tsunami hit. "I was on my bike at the time, taking a video, and as the police were going by screaming 'leave, leave, go uphill' I was hemmed in between two cars and luckily escaped."

"There have been two deaths so far and hundreds of people have had to leave their houses," he added.

An earthquake, 7.0 magnitude, causes a tidal wave

Sea water piles into the down damaging shops and causing a state of panic

At this point the wave had reached the town square. People are screaming, police sirens ring out whilst the water pours into the town.

This video captures the first response to the earthquake. Firefighters set off from the station to rescue a woman from a collapsed building.



I describe what happens when the tsunami hit. I describe how shocked I was trying to cycle away from the wave as I was hemmed in from all sides. I end with condolences to the Samians who have experienced much hardship the last few years.