New Zealand Prime Minister: Tonga volcanic eruption ‘extremely worrying’

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Sunday that images of a volcanic eruption near the Tonga archipelago were “extremely concerning” and that agencies were still trying to establish full contact with officials there.

Ardern added that communications were lost throughout Tonga as a result of the volcanic eruption, making it difficult to assess the situation.

She said the Defense Force and the State Department were working to determine what kind of assistance New Zealand could provide.

An underwater volcano erupted off Tonga on Saturday, prompting tsunami warnings and evacuation orders in Japan.

Tide waves have already been detected in a number of islands in the South Pacific, where video footage posted on social media showed waves storming homes on the coast.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings in the early hours of this morning, and said waves were expected to reach a height of three meters on the Amami islands in the south. Earlier, waves more than a meter high were recorded there.