Wellington: Parts of the capital city of Tonga Nuku’alofa suffered “significant” damage in a strong volcanic eruption but there were no reports of injury or death, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Sunday.
Communication with the Pacific Island has been cut since the eruption of Saturday damages the underwater cable but Ardern said the government had made contact with the New Zealand High Commission in the capital of Tonga.
“The tsunami has a significant impact on Foreshore on the north side of nuku’alofa with a large boat and stone washed land,” Ardern said.
“Nuku’alofa is covered in a thick volcanic dust film but the condition is calm and stable.” However, no word on damage in the outside of Tonga islands with New Zealand will send air force recovery aircraft to fly to the region on Monday if the volcanic ash cloud allows.
Dramatic satellite images showed a long eruption and rumbling from the Husa Tonga-Husa volcano spewing smoke and ash in the air, with the roar roar sounded as far as 10,000 kilometers (6,000 miles) away in Alaska.
It triggered a tsunami that flooded the Pacific coastline from Japan to the United States.
Ardern said there was “no major eruption that was ongoing” and Ash had stopped falling, but further volcanic activity could not be ruled out.