The powerful eruption of a submarine volcano in Tonga, so strong that it has been seen from space and has been felt throughout the Pacific, the largest ocean in the world, has caused the death of at least two people in Peru, at the other end of those waters, and has triggered tsunami warnings from Japan to the west coast of the United States, with evacuations from Chile to Australia.
But the greatest devastation has been recorded in Tonga, a kingdom of 170 small islands with a total of about 105,000 inhabitants in the South Pacific.
No news of victims has been received so far, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, has indicated this Sunday that the archipelago has suffered "significant damage". The images of the eruption, of a force equivalent to that of a magnitude 5.8 earthquake on the surface according to the United States Geological Survey, and whose sound could be heard in Alaska, about 10,000 kilometers from the volcano, are "hugely worrying." ”, has indicated the head of Government.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption, 65 kilometers from the Tongan capital, Nuku'alofa, released ash, gas and steam up to a height of 20 kilometers into the atmosphere during its eight minutes, causing extensive damage to the little nation. Power is out and communication lines remain disrupted, and images that have come from there show large chunks of stone — possibly part of the breakwaters — deposited by the force of the waters inland. The ashes have contaminated drinking water reservoirs and make the air difficult to breathe, according to the
New Zealand Herald
, citing residents of the archipelago.
Giant waves hit within minutes of the eruption the north coast of the Tongan island of Tongatapu, whose highest point is less than thirty meters above sea level.
The Australian Weather Service said "waves of about 1.2 meters" hit Nuku'alofa, population 24,500.
As pebbles and ash fell from the sky, many had to flee to higher ground, leaving behind flooded houses.
“It was tremendous, the ground shook, our house shook.
Came in streaks.
My little brother thought that bombs were exploding in the surroundings,” capital resident Mere Taufa told the New Zealand digital Stuff.
Within minutes his home was flooded.
"You could hear people screaming everywhere, people screaming for everyone to go to higher ground."
New Zealand has formally offered assistance to its small neighbor and is carrying out a first assessment of the damage, according to the Foreign Minister of that country, Nanaia Mahuta. It has already launched a fund of half a million New Zealand dollars to respond to requests that the Government of Tonga may present, and the Foreign and Trade ministries are examining options to send the aid as quickly as possible, he said. An Air Force aircraft is ready to fly over the affected area and determine the impact of the tsunami on Tonga's outer islands as soon as weather conditions allow.
"Nuku'alofa is covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash, but (current) conditions are calm and stable," Ardern said after speaking to his country's representatives in Tonga, apparently via satellite phones.
Other neighboring Pacific nations such as Fiji, Vanuatu and Samoa also saw waves up to two meters high and maintained a warning about coastal activities for hours after the tsunami warning was lifted.
In Japan, where one-meter waves were recorded on the Pacific coast, about 230,000 residents were warned to move to higher ground due to the possibility of a tsunami.
About thirty ships capsized, sank or loosened moorings in three prefectures.
Japanese airlines canceled 27 flights.
00:09
PERU |
TSUNAMI in PISCO
The two people killed in Peru were swept away by waves while traveling in a vehicle.
In Mexico, the Tsunami Warning Center of the Secretary of the Navy warned of high tides on the coasts of Manzanillo, Colima, Zihuatanejo and Guerrero.
The Navy called for caution in the coastal zone due to the possible presence of strong currents in the national ports.
He warned that in Manzanillo the tide reaches a meter and a half in height, while in Zihuatanejo it is one meter.
There was a similar increase in the tide in Salina Cruz (Oaxaca) and Puerto Chiapas.
The tide rose less than 30 centimeters in Baja California.
The Navy, however, ruled out tsunamis.
In Chile, authorities announced a "minor tsunami" on Easter Island.
As reported by Canal N, on Lagunilla beach, the waves affected restaurants, while in the San Andrés area various boats were damaged by the waves.
The bathers who had arrived at the scene had to leave the area for safety, while the merchants proceeded to close their stores.
Follow all the international information on
and
, or in
our weekly newsletter
.
