Tsunami in Tonga: Damage caused by volcanic eruption | The world

Massive volcanic eruption Tonga, Which caused waves Tsunami On Saturday, the South Pacific islands were filled with ash, which further damaged electricity and communications.

See: Volcanic eruption causes tsunami in Tonga and triggers warnings in Pacific | Videos

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinta Artern said the tsunami had caused “significant damage”, dragging boats ashore and hitting shops along the coast.

Information from Tonga is scarce, but so far No deaths were reported.

Locals say Tonga, covered in volcanic ash, looks like a “moon scene”.

The New Zealand Defense Forces tweeted that a plane had taken off “to assist in an initial impact assessment of the area and the lower islands”.

Katie Greenwood of the IFRC in Fiji said help was urgently needed.

“We doubt it Up to 80,000 people could be affected in Tonga Floods caused by explosions or tsunamis and eruptions, ”he said.

“It was a shock to the people, so we have some concerns about those outlying islands and we are very eager to hear from the people.”, He added.

As the people of the area say Tonga After being covered with volcanic ash it looks like a “lunar landscape”.

Dust pollutes water streams Fresh water is neededAccording to Artern.

Charities said the ash and smoke prompted residents to drink bottled water and wear masks to protect their lungs.

One of the worst eruptions in decades

An undersea volcano erupted Saturday, spewing ash into the sky and triggering a warning of 4-foot waves. The eruption was strong enough for that Was able to hear in New Zealand, 2,383 km from Tonga.

Several videos show how many people escaped in cars from traffic jams and low-lying areas as the sky was covered in ash. Hours later, telephone and internet connections in Tonga were down, leaving 105,000 residents without communication.

Artern said power was being restored in some parts of Tonga and mobile phones were slowly starting to work. However, the situation in some coastal areas is unknown.

Unable to speak to their friends and family, many dongers in Australia and New Zealand were concerned about their safety.

New Zealand and Australia send surveillance planes to assess the extent of the damage.

Satellite images show some small islands completely submerged.

Experts say the eruption of the Hanga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’bai volcano has been one of the most violent in the region for decades.

The eruption triggered a tsunami alert in several countries, including Chile, the United States and Japan. Extreme levels of flood danger were announced in at least two places along the coast of California and Alaska.

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Satellite images show the destruction of the volcano

Analysis – Jonathan Amos, Science Reporter

Scientists first saw Hanga-Tonga-Hunga-Hapai after it exploded on Saturday when the EU’s Sentinel-1A satellite flew overhead.

The spacecraft has a radar base and can be seen through clouds and ash covering the surface below.

The pictures clearly showed that most of the edge of the crater above the seawater had been destroyed, which was a sign of the brutality of the eruption.

More courses are needed

Researchers will study the cause of the tsunami, which caused waves not only on nearby islands but also on many beaches around the Pacific Ocean.

To what extent was that explosion responsible? Pressure waves can create what is called a “mitochondria”.

Another possibility is that it may be the result of water displacement Unseen decline From a portion of the volcano below sea level.

The facts will be revealed in a few more days if more information about what happened is available.

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