Tsunami waves triggered by an undersea volcano have flooded Tonga, burying entire communities in water and prompting experts to warn that the main island could be buried in volcanic ash.
After the eruption, videos circulated on social media showing people fleeing to higher ground as one-metre-high floods devastated coastal areas and spread inland as the sky darkened with ash.
By Sunday evening, there had been no official reports of injuries or deaths, and communication had been limited.
New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said at a press conference on Sunday that contact with coastal communities outside of the capital, Nuku’alofa, has yet to be established.
“Thick plumes of volcanic dust have blanketed Nuku’alofa, but otherwise the situation is calm and stable,” Ardern added. “We haven’t heard any news from the other coastal locations yet,” she said.
According to Ardern, the primary undersea communications cable was disrupted, most likely due to a power outage. She noted that power was being restored in some portions of the islands and that local cellphones were slowly starting to work.
The tsunami damaged boats, stores, and other infrastructure, according to the New Zealand high commission in Nuku’alofa.
According to the office of Zed Seselja, Australia’s Pacific minister, Tonga’s cabinet conducted a crisis meeting on Sunday and was seeking assistance. On Monday, Australia will dispatch a P8 surveillance plane to Tonga.
A video taken from the roof of a building on the coast on Saturday showed large waves breaking the coastal wall seconds apart, while a video taken from the New Zealand high commission in Nuku’alofa, where people sought refuge, showed the downtown area of Patangata completely submerged, including the Royal Palace and Tonga’s largest bank.
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