Tongans flee for their lives as powerful tsunami smashes island nation after underwater volcano erupts in the South Pacific sending smoke 20km into the sky
- Tonga has been hit by tsunami waves after undersea volcano erupted
- Dramatic video showed huge waves crashing into homes and buildings
- Tongan Meteorological Service warned locals to find high ground
A tsunami has struck Tonga sending terrified locals fleeing for high ground as huge waves crashed over cars, roads and into homes.
It is understood an underground volcanic eruption led to the tsunami, which smashed coastal homes, buildings, roads and infrastructure in the Pacific nation on Saturday.
Dramatic footage showed huge waves surging ashore on the populated islands of the archipelago hours after the eruption.
The Tongan Meteorological Service issued the tsunami warning on Saturday evening as sirens rang out across the capital, Nukuʻalofa.
A tsunami has struck Tonga sending terrified locals fleeing for high ground as huge waves crashed over roads and into homes
Locals took to social media to share dramatic videos of the surging waves making land and crashing through homes and cars
Dramatic official aerial maps showed the eruption cloud over Tonga after the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcanco erupted
Reports said emergency warnings were ordering locals to move urgently to higher ground.
The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcanco erupted on Friday sending debris, ash and gas 20 kilometres into the air.
The eruption plunged the nation’s main islandsinto darkness on Friday.
More to come
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