TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An undersea volcano off the coast of Tonga has erupted, releasing clouds of smoke and ash into the air on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 - causing several disruptions to air travel between nations across the South Pacific.
Local residents reported that the waters surrounding near the volcano turned 'blood-red' when it erupted.
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai volcano, which is an undersea volcano which is located about 65 kilometers north of Tonga's capital, Nukualofa, sprayed smoke and ashes to a height of 4,500 metres, according to a report released by Wellington's Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC).
The volcano, which first erupted in 2009, have been showing signs of increased seismic activities for a couple of weeks before finally erupting five days ago, reported the New Zealand Herald.
An Air New Zealand flight between Auckland and Nukualofa, was diverted to Samoa before finally returning to New Zealand due to the volcanic eruption, according to a statement released by New Zealand's flag carrier.
The return flight, which was scheduled for Tuesday, have been cancelled due to the eruption - however, other flights passing through the region have not been affected.
Local residents have described an extraordinary scene wherein plumes of volcanic ash billows into the air, while the volcano's pyroclastic flow turned the water blood-red, according to a Reuters report.
ANTARANEWS