Depending on the risk scale, there is the possibility of a minor tsunami in these territories.
The National Emergency Office of Chile (Onemi) issued this Saturday an alert and asked to evacuate the coasts of Easter Island, the Juan Fernández archipelago, San Félix Island and Antarctica after the eruption of a volcano near the island of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean.
The Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Chilean Navy (SHOA) declared through Twitter the “State of Precaution” that, according to the scale of risks handled by this agency, “indicates the possibility of a minor tsunami” in those territories.
The closest to Tonga Island would be Rapa Nui, known as Easter Island, located 3,800 kilometers from the Chilean mainland. Meanwhile, the Juan Fernández archipelago and San Félix Island are much closer to South America, about 600 kilometers away.
The alert comes hours after a violent eruption of an underwater volcano near Tonga in the South Pacific., which caused a fierce tsunami that has hit the coasts of this island nation and has also set off alarms in other nations in the region.
The latest country to take precautions was the United States, which also issued a tsunami warning for the west coast of the country this morning.
On Tonga Island, the onslaught of waves hit homes and buildings along the northern coast of Tongatapu some 15 minutes later, according to videos posted on social media by witnesses, some of whom were taking refuge in the roof of their houses.
The authorities asked the entire population settled on the coasts to go to high areas to shelter from the onslaught of the waves and wear masks before the ash rain.
A driver caught the sudden rise of the waters in his flight, which was destroying walls and fences, while another car tried to avoid being caught by traveling in reverse. (I)
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