Large volcanic eruption in Tonga causes severe damage

Saturday’s eruption was so powerful that it was captured around the world and caused a tsunami that reached the Pacific coast from Japan to the United States.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said significant damage had been caused to the Tongan capital, Nuku’alofa. She added that there were no reports of injuries or deaths, but it was not yet possible to assess the full extent of the damage on Sunday due to the communication outage.

“The tsunami had a huge impact on the coast north of Nuku’alofa, with ships and large stones thrown ashore,” Ardern said. She was in contact with the New Zealand Embassy in Tonga.

“Nuku’alofa is covered in a thick layer of volcanic dust, but other than that everything is calm and stable,” Ardern said.

According to her, Tonga needs water because “the ash cloud has polluted everything.”

There are no reports of damage on the outermost islands. The New Zealand Defense Force said on Twitter that New Zealand will send an Air Force surveillance plane to Tonga “as soon as the weather is favorable”.

“We are working hard to figure out how we can help our Pacific neighbors after a volcanic eruption near Tonga,” the report said.

Australia’s foreign ministry said Tonga had also accepted Canberra’s offer to send a surveillance plane. It added that it was ready to start a “significant humanitarian supply” immediately.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the United States was “deeply concerned about the people of Tonga”. He promised to provide support to this island nation.

A tsunami wave reaching a height of 1.2 meters hit the coast of the capital, Tonga. Residents reported that they fled to higher places, leaving their homes sunken. Gravel and ash falling from the sky caused structural damage to some buildings.

„[Išsiveržimas] It was great, the ground shook, our house shook. Everything went in waves. “My younger brother thought the bombs went off nearby,” Mir Tova told Stuff on Saturday.

According to her, after a few minutes the family house was flooded, and she saw the wall of one of the neighboring houses collapse.

The eruption of an underwater volcano between the islands of Hunga Tonga and Honga Hapai lasted at least eight minutes. Clouds of gas, ash and smoke rose to a height of several kilometers. Fearful of the waves rising, the inhabitants of the coast were urged to move to higher places.

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Hapai volcano is located near an uninhabited island, about 65 km north of the Tongan capital, Nuku’alofa.