Stunning images show aftermath of eruption and tsunami in the Pacific
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After an enormous undersea volcano erupted off the coast of Tonga on Saturday, photos and videos taken across the Pacific have captured the aftermath of the eruption, as well as the tsunami that followed.
The phenomenon prompted authorities worldwide to issue tsunami warnings and advisories as far away as British Columbia and Alaska, where a sonic boom could even be heard.
Images taken on the ground in Pacific coastal communities have shown the effects of the eruption -- from the massive mushroom cloud-like plumes of ash that it produced to the infrastructure damage caused by tsunami waves and flooding.
The Tongan Geological Services observe the plume of ash and smoke from the Hunga Tonga volcano. (Tongan Geological Services/Facebook)
The Tonga Geological Services reported that the plume of smoke reached as high as 20 kilometres above sea level, spanning a radius of 240 kilometres. The agency also reported that ashfall had occurred on some of Tonga's islands, which can cause stinging or irritation to the eyes.
In a Facebook livestream verified by the news agency Storyful, Tonga resident Deborah Mahe filmed herself in a flooded church, with the water up to at least her ankles inside the building. Outside the window, floodwaters could be seen rapidly rushing through the street.
Another Facebook livestream from Tongan resident Ray Kalonihea Tu'itakau shows trees and houses along the shoreline completely consumed by tsunami waves.
People look at a damaged boat in a marina at Tutukaka, New Zealand, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, after waves from a volcano eruption swept into the marina.
A dock is torn apart in a marina at Tutukaka, New Zealand, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, after waves from a volcano eruption swept into the marina. (Tanya White/Northern Advcate/NZME via AP)
At a marina in Tutukaka, New Zealand, tsunami waves tore apart docks and overturned boats. (Tanya White/Northern Advcate/NZME via AP)
Tsunami surge inundates the parking lot at the top of the Upper Harbor in Santa Cruz, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. (Shmuel Thaler/The Santa Cruz Sentinel via AP)
In Santa Cruz, Calif., nearly 8,500 kilometres from where the volcano erupted, tsunami waters surged through the harbour and inundated a parking lot. (Shmuel Thaler/The Santa Cruz Sentinel via AP)
Footage filmed by Pacifica, Calif. resident Savannah Peterson and confirmed by Storyful shows sea foam and waves crashing along the beachfront on Saturday morning and jumping over the seawall.
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A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Models in uniquely designed red dresses are taking to the runway in British Columbia this weekend to make a powerful fashion statement about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
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The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
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The jury deciding the fate of a man responsible for a fatal firebombing in Sudbury found him guilty of three counts of first-degree murder Friday afternoon.
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Models in uniquely designed red dresses are taking to the runway in British Columbia this weekend to make a powerful fashion statement about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
Models in uniquely designed red dresses are taking to the runway in British Columbia this weekend to make a powerful fashion statement about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
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