“Get away from coast…”: Volcano triggers panic from Japan to US; Tsunami threat

On Saturday, an underwater volcano in the South Pacific erupted violently, triggering tsunamis to reach Hawaii, Japan, and Tongatapu, Tonga's largest island, flooding the capital. The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano erupted twice on Friday and Saturday, about 30 kilometres southeast of Tonga's Fonuafo'ou island. The eruptions sent a 20-kilometer cloud of ash, gas, and steam into the sky. On Saturday evening, even phone connections were down. On Saturday, the eruption caused a massive tsunami on Tongatapu, the capital, with waves crashing onto coastal roads and flooding homes. Till now, no deaths or injuries have been reported in Tonga as a result of the eruption, according to New Zealand authorities.