Significant damage has been reported after a tsunami hit the Pacific island nation of Tonga.
The eruption, which was heard as far away as the US, caused waves higher than a metre to crash into Tonga.
According to a post made by the New Zealand High Commission, ‘’Significant damage has been reported along the western coast of Tongatapu, including to resorts and the waterfront area of northern Nuku’alofa,” referring to Tonga’s main island.
Saturday’s eruption was likely the biggest recorded anywhere on the planet in more than 30 years, according to experts.
Images from space captured the eruption in real time, as a huge plume of ash, gas and steam was spewed up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) into the atmosphere — and tsunami waves were sent crashing across the Pacific.
Meanwhile, on social media, footage showed people fleeing as waves inundated Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, and the afternoon sky turned pitch black due to the heavy ash cloud.
Tsunami waves were also recorded thousands of miles away along the United States West Coast, in Peru, New Zealand and Japan. In Peru, at least two people died after being swept up by high waves.
-CNN-
