Sydney, Australia – The epicenter was reported below the Pacific Ocean floor, however; no tsunami alert was issued Tonga, In the Pacific Ocean, there have been no reports of possible casualties so far and after a violent volcanic eruption was recorded, local media reported.
Large waves hit homes and buildings along the coast and quickly flooded surrounding areas., According to videos posted on social media by witnesses who took refuge on the roofs of their homes. Tonga has a population of about 105,000.
The New Zealand military says it is monitoring the situation and is ready to act if necessary.
On Twitter, Dr. A user, identified as Faka’iloatonga Taumoefolau, posted a video of waves crashing against the shore.
“I really hear the volcano erupting and it looks so violent,” he wrote. Then in another post he said: “Ashes and small stones rain down, darkness covers the sky.”
Local authorities have issued a tsunami alert for the entire country following the eruption of the Hanga-Tonga-Hunga-Habai submarine, about 65 kilometers from the island’s main island of Tongadapu, which has a population of about 71,000.
According to witnesses, the volcano erupted at 5:20 pm (Tonga local time) and released a large ash cloud into the air, according to the Radio New Zealand Portal.
The waves also hit a part of Vanuatu Leu Island in northeastern Fiji, while Samoan officials have warned of rising water.
The New Zealand Emergency Management Agency said on Twitter that it expects “strong currents and unusually unpredictable swells” on the north and east coasts of the island and off the coast of the country.
The Tonga Meteorological Agency posted a stunning satellite image of an underwater volcanic cloud on its Facebook profile, which already showed signs of increased activity the previous day and triggered a tsunami alert shortly.
Authorities have asked the entire population living along the coast to go to higher ground and wear a mask before the gray rain to seek refuge from the onslaught of the waves.
In late 2014 and early 2015, a series of eruptions in the region created a small new island and disrupted air traffic with the archipelago for several days.