APIA, Samoa, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Health officials in the Pacific island nation of Samoa said on Saturday that they were worried about outbreaks of disease in the wake of the 8.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami.

    Planeloads of medical supplies and relief equipment have been rushed to the country where 135 deaths occurred.

An emergency worker from Australia's "Queensland Fire and Rescue" service moves debris as he searches for tsunami victims in the village of Saleapaga on Samoa's southern coast October 2, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Limbo Fiu, the clinical manager for the national health service in Samoa, said in a few weeks, they expect to see many people sickwith gastroenteritis and diarrhea.

    New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, who toured the stricken area on Friday Samoa local time, said the risk of disease was raised in meetings with local medical teams and New Zealand would send medics who specialized in infectious diseases.

    The urgent concern for the aid groups tracking through the bush to find the villages is to ensure there are supplies of clean water and satisfactory sanitary facilities.

    A New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 plane arrived in Samoa Saturday morning, carrying more aid and specialists from New Zealand.

    Medical and food supplies were also aboard the plane.