Nuku’alofa –
Tsunami waves crash Tonga located in the South Pacific. Tongans reportedly fled to higher ground when the tsunami hit after it happened volcanic eruption underwater in the region.
“Tsunami waves as high as 1.2 meters were observed in Nukualofa,” the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said on Twitter. AFP, Saturday (15/1/2022).
It was stated that the maximum height of the tsunami waves recorded after the eruption of Mount Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai on Friday (14/1) local time reached 30 centimeters. Reports say the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted again hours after the tsunami warning was lifted.
One of the local residents, Mefe Taufa, said that he was preparing to have dinner when the eruption occurred. A few minutes later, said Taufa, the tsunami began to enter the houses of local residents and he said he saw one of the walls of his neighbor’s house destroyed.
“We immediately knew it was a tsunami. Water entered our house,” he said.
“You can hear screams everywhere, people screaming for safety, for everyone to move to higher ground,” added Taufa.
The King of Tonga, Tupou VI, is reported to have been evacuated from the Palace in Nuku’alofa and taken in a police convoy to a villa far from the coast.
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