THE missing Fiji woman in American Samoa is believed to be the sister of Professor Vilsoni Hereniko, producer of the film The Land Has Eyes.
Authorities in Pago Pago have identified the Fiji woman as Mere Pereira known to local residents as Helen Manogi.
She was one of three people said to be missing after an 8.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the Samoa Islands region and generated a devastating tsunami in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga on September 29.
Emergency Operation Centre Incident Commander Lulu Barber said staff at the local congressman's office received a phone call from Mrs Pereira's brother in Fiji about her disappearance.
"Her brother called from Fiji and staff at the local congressman's office informed us of his query," she said from American Samoa yesterday.
"We are still waiting for more information from the staff who received the phone call about the brother so we could get more information about her.
"She was last heard heading to Fiji and her brother was waiting for her. She never arrived and he called authorities here."
Ms Barber said authorities were trying to ascertain whether Mrs Pereira left the country during the tsunami tragedy.
They have since appealed to the public for more information on Mrs Pereira's location. One of her brothers, Jione Kamoe, said his sister left for Samoa in the 1960s.
"This is the first time I've heard of this news," he said from his home in Vatukoula. The last time she came to Fiji was in 1997. She went to Rotuma for our mother's funeral.
"She married a Samoan, Manogi Pereira, and they moved to Apia. I heard she was in American Samoa.
"We kept in touch by writing letters but until 2000, all my letters have been returned. I haven't heard from her since."
Mr Kamoe said his sister is third in a family of 11.
"I am very anxious to know her whereabouts now that the authorities in American Samoa say it is her," he said.
