(Photo : Telusa Fotu/AFP via Getty Images)
This picture taken on March 19, 2009 shows an aerial photo of ash rising into the air from an undersea volcanic eruption, part of the uninbabited islet of Hunga Ha'apai, 63 kilometres (39 miles) northwest of the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa. The volcano, which continued to spew on March 20 even as a major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 rocked Tonga's main island of Tongatapu, began erupting on March 16 several days after another more moderate earthquake.
The capital of Tonga was affected by the volcanic eruption, and the quake, which registered at 7.4 Magnitude, adversely affected the island with an information blackout.
To date, the death toll is not known, and other details about Nuku'alofa are sketchy of how the population is affected. The last known report from the island was social posts saying the sky darkened from pyroclastic material from the eruption.
Tonga volcanic eruption aftermath
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai submarine volcano was so powerful that it triggered tsunami waves that crashed into the island's coast. It got worse from harmful ashfall that coated the surrounding areas, reported the Express UK.
Tsunami waves had reached up to California, USA, with evacuation alerts in Australia and Japan that attest to the power generated by the eruption in Tonga.
Residents of the capital were running to high ground as waves nearly three feet were filling the streets after the underwater volcano vent out its furry last Saturday.
Since Sunday, the Pacific island was not reachable, relatives in New Zealand were hoping no one of their loved ones was affected. The island's 107,000 residents have been out of since cited the Swift Headline.
There were no confirmed reports of injuries or deaths in Tonga, according to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, as she spoke at a media briefing on Sunday.
She added alarmingly no contact with coastal areas farther than the capital of Tonga Nuku'alofa is unsettling. The capital is covered with thick plumes of volcanic dust but with more stable conditions.
Tsunami alerts were issued
Maikel Atiola, the Secretary of the Wesleyan Church of Tonga in Auckland, told Radio New Zealand that he hoped everything was better and everyone was safe.
Tsunami warnings were issued across the Pacific due to the eruption, with US officials urging residents all along the Pacific coast to stay away from the shores. Many Beaches in New South Wales, Australia, were shut for safety, noted Business World.
Hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians were advised to leave as waves of over a meter slammed into coastal districts, remarked Reuters.
The Amani islands in the Southern Part of Japan were threatened with 10-foot-high waves. Due to the tsunami risk, approximately 230,000 people were instructed to flee from eight prefectures. Locations impacted by the terrible tsunami in Japan in 2011 have been included in the notification.
The tsunami capsized ten boats in Kochi Prefecture on the archipelago of Shikoku in southern Japan, while Japan Airlines postponed 27 flights all across the nation.
Several cities in California, including Santa Monica and Santa Cruz, have been flooded due to the tsunami, and beaches have been closed to the public.
Dave Snider, the National Tsunami Warning Center coordinator in Palmer, Alaska, reported seeing the wave moving to Hawaii. He added that they have no way of knowing because the origin is volcanic, not seismic.
Thunder sounds from the eruptive blast were heard up to Fiji Islands, 500 miles away. The capital of Tonga has been cut off from help due to the lack of phone and internet lines which have become unreliable as an aftermath of the destructive volcanic eruption.
Related Article: Eruption of Dormant Antarctic Volcanoes Could Lead to the Rise of Sea Levels Globally, Affect Earth's Climate
