Kathmandu, January 18
The epicenter was reported below the Pacific Ocean floor, however; no tsunami alert was
issued.
An underwater volcano erupted about 65 kilometers north of Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa on Sunday. The volcanic eruption disrupted electricity, internet and communications. Even the satellite phone did not work due to smoke and ash in the sky. The BBC has stated that the full details of the damage have not been released yet.
New Zealand and Australia have sent special teams to Tonga to investigate the situation. Details of the possible damage to Tonga are being made public after the team’s inspection. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said that Tonga has suffered significant damage.
No casualties were reported in Tonga. But Angela Glover, a British woman, has gone missing, according to family members and friends. She had been running a tattoo parlor in Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga.
According to the Red Cross, about 80,000 people have been affected by the eruption. Affected people urgently need clean drinking water. People are urged to drink only bottled water and wear masks.
According to international news agencies, the water source was destroyed after the eruption and the ground covered with ash looked like the surface of the moon.
The eruption was heard as far away as the United States. The eruption was followed by a wave of up to one meter in Tonga. The floods hit as far as Alaska and California in the United States. A tsunami alert was issued in the United States and Japan. The king of Tonga and his members were evacuated after the eruption.
By Karuna Thapa
