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An undersea volcano eruption in Tonga on January 15, 2022. Photo: NICT via AP

Two women drown in Peru after Tonga volcanic eruption 10,000km away

  • The emergency centre announced that the women drowned because of ‘unusually strong waves that were due to the volcanic activity in north Nuku’alofa, Tonga’
  • Peru’s government on Saturday closed 22 Pacific ports in the country’s north and centre due to the waves
Volcanoes

Two women drowned on a beach in northern Peru due to “anomalous waves” registered after the volcanic eruption in Tonga, more than 10,000 kilometres away, local emergency services said on Sunday.

The two women drowned on Saturday in the Lambayeque region.

Peru’s government on Saturday closed 22 Pacific ports in the country’s north and centre due to the waves.

Tonga uncontactable after suffering ‘significant’ volcano damage

The National Emergency Operations Centre said the unusually strong waves were “due to the volcanic activity in north Nuku’alofa, Tonga.”

Southern Peru, roughly 10,600 kilometres (6,500 miles) away, recorded light flooding in some coastal areas where dozens of people needed to be rescued.

02:47

Volunteer rescuers search for victims of Indonesia’s deadly Semeru volcano eruption

Volunteer rescuers search for victims of Indonesia’s deadly Semeru volcano eruption

The underwater volcano off Tonga erupted on Saturday, prompting tsunami warnings and evacuation orders in Japan and causing huge waves on several South Pacific islands, where images on social media show waves crashing against homes on the shores.

The Peruvian police said on Twitter that the two victims were found dead by officers from a Naylamp beach police station. TV images showed several homes and businesses flooded by seawater in coastal areas in northern and central Peru.

The Peruvian Navy had reported that a tsunami alert was ruled out for the Pacific Coast country.

Additional reporting by Reuters.

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