WELLINGTON - The tsunami caused by the powerful eruption of an underwater volcano in the Tonga Islands in the South Pacific Ocean caused significant damage, but no casualties. This was stated this morning by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, while the threat of anomalous waves for the countries bordering the ocean is considered "overcome", even if slight variations in sea level remain possible for a few hours.
"The tsunami had a significant impact on the northern coast of Nuku'alofa," the capital of the Tonga Islands, "with boats and large rocks washed ashore," but no casualties were reported, Ardern said. It is not yet possible, he added, to evaluate theextent of damage in the small Pacific kingdom as communications are still interrupted.
"Nuku'alofa is covered in a thick cloud of volcanic ash, but otherwise the situation is calm," explained the prime minister after contacting his country's embassy in the kingdom.
The island needs a water supply, he added, because "the ash cloud has contaminated water resources".
New Zealand is ready to send a military reconnaissance plane to fly over the area as soon as the volcanic ash cloud permits.
The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai underwater volcano was so powerful that it was felt as far as Chile, triggering a tsunami that inundated the Pacific coasts, from Japan to the United States, with anomalous waves that caused "small floods "in Hawaii.