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An underwater volcano in the South Pacific erupted Saturday with a stunning blast, sending tsunami waves onto nearby Tonga and to the north in Japan, with warnings of dangerous ocean surges issued as far away as the US West Coast.
Dramatic satellite images showed the long, rumbling eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai send a huge mushroom of smoke and ash into the air and a shockwave across the surrounding waters.
A tsunami wave measuring 1.2 metres (four feet) was observed in Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said tsunami reached that country’s Pacific coast, too, with waves as high as three meters (11 feet) possible.
A 1.2-metre wave reached the remote southern island of Amami Oshima and other areas along Japan’s Pacific coast observed smaller surges, the agency said.
People scrambled to higher ground on islands of Tonga, an archipelago. Local resident Mere Taufa said she was in her house getting ready for dinner when the undersea volcano erupted — sending water crashing into her home.
“It was massive, the ground shook, our house was shaking. It came in waves. My younger brother thought bombs were exploding nearby,” Taufa told the Stuff news website.
She said water filled their home minutes later and she saw the wall of a neighbouring house collapse.
“We just knew straight away it was a tsunami. Just water gushing into our home.
“You could just hear screams everywhere, people screaming for safety, for everyone to get to higher ground.”
Tonga’s King Tupou VI was reported to have been evacuated from the Royal Palace in Nuku’alofa and taken by police convoy to a villa well away from the coastline.
The volcano’s eruption lasted at least eight minutes and sent plumes of gas, ash and smoke several kilometres into the…
Source : france24
