No Pinoys reported affected so far in Tonga underwater volcano eruption, tsunamis —DFA

Published January 17, 2022 3:05pm There were no reported Filipino casualties so far in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji following a large undersea volcanic eruption that triggered tsunamis and strong wave alerts across the Pacific, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday. Foreign Affairs spokesman Ed Meñez said the Philippine Embassy in New Zealand, which has jurisdiction over the three areas, is still checking if there were Filipinos affected by the eruption and tsunamis. There are 87 Filipinos in Tonga, 300 in Samoa, and 400 in Fiji, the DFA said. On Sunday, the embassy in New Zealand said residents in coastal areas were evacuated to higher ground and that communication systems were disrupted due to tsunamis in Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji. Tsunami advisories were also issued for the coastal areas of New Zealand, Japan, and the US western states, it added. The Pacific island of Tonga experienced a massive volcanic eruption Saturday followed by a tsunami that flooded parts of its capital, Nuku'alofa. A 50-year-old British woman living in Tonga was reported missing after she and her husband were caught in the tsunami. Angela Glover's husband, James, survived the four-feet waves. Search operations are ongoing, reports said. —Michaela Del Callar/KBK, GMA News

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