Two days after the massive eruption of a submarine volcano near the island kingdom of Tonga, the extent of the damage in the South Seas archipelago is still unclear. Military aircraft from New Zealand and Australia are en route to the area today for an aerial survey.
Meanwhile, the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Australia has identified another “major eruption”. The latest outbreak was registered last night, it said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also said it had detected large waves in the area. “This could be due to another explosion from Tonga volcano,” the statement said. “There are no known earthquakes of any significant magnitude that could produce this wave.”
Military aircraft from New Zealand and Australia were en route to the area for an aerial survey. Communications there continued to be badly affected, particularly on some of Tonga’s more remote islands, which have not been contacted since the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai eruption. Tonga has around 170 islands, 36 of which are uninhabited.
Saturday’s eruption could be heard thousands of miles away. It unleashed tidal waves and put many Pacific countries on alert. Tsunami waves were recorded not only in Tonga, but also in New Zealand, Japan, Alaska and South America. Aid organizations warned of health damage from the huge ash clouds and advised Tonga residents to wear masks and only drink bottled water.