MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Tsunami leaves two dead in Peru

Peru's tsunami authority said there was no need to alarm the population

Two people have died in Peru this weekend as a consequence of the eruption of a volcano in Tonga which resulted in a strong wave hitting the Nyalamp beach near the northwestern city of Lambayeque, it was reported.

While Ecuador and Chile did ring tsunami alerts, no such measure was enacted in Peru, leading to additional damage.

Waves more than two meters high flooded the city and dragged into the sea a vehicle in which two women were traveling near the shore. Both women died, according to local media.

Maritime overflows also caused damages to businesses and boats in several areas of the country, after which all maritime activity was suspended in the areas affected and sandbags were placed to stop the advance of the sea.

On Saturday, the National Tsunami Warning Center boss Lorena Márquez Ismodes said there was no tsunami warning in the country and that there was no need to “alarm the population.” Meanwhile, from the Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation of the Peruvian Navy, they indicated that the volcanic eruption in Tonga “does not generate a tsunami on the Peruvian coast” and ensured that they maintain constant vigilance.

Meanwhile, Chile and Ecuador did issued tsunami warnings.

On Saturday, January 15, the submarine volcano Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai, which is located off Tonga, erupted and caused a tsunami warning in several countries in Oceania and the Pacific coast.

The giant waves affected the oceanic country that attacked houses while citizens ran taking valuables, according to the images that began to circulate on social networks.

The submarine volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, which is located about 65 kilometers north of Nuku'alofa, caused a tsunami of 1.2 meters, reported the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

Japan, the United States and Chile put their population on alert, while the island of Hawaii was affected by “minor flooding” after the eruption. The US National Weather Service also warned California to Alaska for citizens not to go near the beaches because they predicted waves of up to 60 centimeters, very strong currents and coastal flooding.