Tsunami from Tonga volcano eruption leaves trail of flood damage

Tsunami waves caused by an undersea volcano have flooded the Pacific Island country of Tonga, where entire towns have been inundated with water and scientists warn the main island could be blanketed in volcanic ash.

Videos shared on social media after the eruption showed people running for higher ground as the one metre high floods hit coastal areas and made their way farther inland while the sky darkened with ash.

There were no official reports of injuries or deaths by Sunday evening, with communications limited.

Southern Cross Cable Network said on Sunday that it had been able to confirm contact with a communications centre in Tonga and work was under way to have internet and phone links restored.

New Zealand has made an initial NZ$500,000 available to Tonga and has dispatched an aerial surveillance aircraft to assess the damage.

The eruption could be heard as far away as 2,300km away in New Zealand, while tsunami warnings were in force at various times across the Pacific, including in Australia, Japan and the US. Some coastal communities in Fiji and Vanuatu were damaged by large waves, while tidal surges were reported to have damaged harbours and coastal parks along the US west coast.

In Japan, around 230,000 people were advised to evacuate across eight prefectures as waves of more than a metre hit coastal areas, the public broadcaster NHK reported. The alert included areas hit by the deadly 2011 tsunami.

Ten boats were capsized in Kochi prefecture on Shikoku island in southern Japan, NHK said, and Japan Airlines cancelled 27 flights at airports across the country. There were delays to rail and postal services in some areas, Kyodo News reported, with some residents passing a cold night after evacuating to higher ground.

With Reuters