All communications with Tonga were cut off until Sunday morning, and throughout Sunday there were still problems, as the submarine cable to Fiji was shut down, possibly due to a power outage.
– Ardern said the widespread volcanic eruption halted communications, but so far there are no official reports of injuries or deaths.
The eruption of the volcano triggered a tsunami of 1.2 metres, which submerged homes on the island on Saturday. Ardern says they don’t know much yet about how things are going on the other Tonga islands, but she says the north side of the capital has been badly damaged.
“The tsunami had a major impact on the beach area on the north side of Nuku’alofa, with boats and large boulders swept ashore and buildings damaged,” Ardern said after her government contacted the New Zealand embassy in Tonga’s capital on Sunday.
Volcanic eruption in Tonga threatens many other countries.
New Zealand: A tsunami destroyed several boats in the country. Photo: Tania White/Associated Press
It can affect many countries
The volcanic eruption triggered a tsunami in Tonga, which led to tsunami warnings for a number of other countries.
The authorities issued a warning to people to stay away from the sea and coastal areas. There is currently no basis to start the evacuation.
The forces of nature have also led to tsunami warnings for Fiji, Vanuatu, Chile, Samoa, Australia, Japan, Hawaii and Alaska in the United States.
New Zealand authorities are urging people to stay away from the seas and coastal areas.
Waves about one meter high reached the southwestern part of Japan earlier on Sunday morning.
This led to about 230,000 people calling for evacuation from eight regions in Japan.
The United States will help
A thick layer of volcanic dust covered the capital Nuku’alofa on Sunday, but the situation in the city was calm, Ardern said.
Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said the United States is ready to send aid to Tonga after the volcanic eruption.
The United States is deeply concerned about the people of Tonga as they recover from the volcanic eruption and tsunami. Blinken wrote on Twitter that the United States is ready to provide support to our Pacific neighbors.
New tsunami alert
The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning (JATWC) has issued a new tsunami warning for the east coast of Australia as a result of the volcanic eruption, according to reports. 7 news.
Thus, the beaches on the east coast of Australia are closed and evacuated.
In the United States, residents have already experienced the effects of tsunamis.
Several waves up to one meter in height were blamed on the West Coast of the United States.
California: Several areas are inundated near Santa Cruz, California. Photo: Shmuel Thler / AP
In Alaska, several waves come. According to the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, no high waves have been reported in the state, but they fear higher waves.
– This is probably not the biggest wave because there are still waves to come, so a staff member at the center did it CNN.
intense volcanic eruption
Chile: Chileans have asked to evacuate the coast. Photo: Rodrigo Garrido/Reuters
The eruption began on Saturday and is currently the latest in a series of eruptions at the submarine volcano Hengja Tonga – Hong Hapai, located on an uninhabited island 65 kilometers north of the capital, Nuku’alofa.
The volcano also erupted on Friday, causing a 30-centimeter tsunami.
Saturday’s volcanic eruption lasted for eight minutes and sent emissions of gas, ash and smoke several kilometers into the air.
Officials in Suva, Fiji, say the eruption was so strong that it looked like a powerful thunderstorm. Fiji is located more than 80 miles from Tonga.
Tonga is located between New Zealand and Hawaii and consists of 172 small islands. The country has a population of just over 100,000 people.
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