Horrifying footage captured a huge boom caused by volcano eruption in Tonga

A terrifying video captured the moment a huge boom shattered the surface after an underwater volcano eruption in Tonga.

The footage showed several people glazing over clouds of smoke nearby the waterfront, as a volcano blast is then heard moments later, followed by an even louder bang, causing people to scramble away to safety.

Watch below:

Siosaia Lanilangi - who shared the clip on social media - was able to capture the underwater volcano eruption nearby the island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai on 15 January 2022.

The once-in-a-millennium event set off a massive, sonic boom that was said to have been heard as far away as Alaska.

The explosion itself was reportedly the equivalent of 1,000 Hiroshima bombs, as satellite footage displayed the shock waves heading across the ocean.

For context, Tonga's Hunga Tonga volcano had one of the most violent volcano eruptions ever captured on satellite.

As a result, a tsunami warning was issued for Japan, Hawaii, the east coast of Australia, and even the west coast of the US.

The underwater volcano lies around 65 kilometres north of the capital Nuku'alofa, and a 1.2 metre tsunami was recorded near the capital shortly after the eruption.

One eyewitness told Stuff: "It was massive, the ground shook, our house was shaking. It came in waves. My younger brother thought bombs were exploding nearby.

"We just knew straight away it was a tsunami. Just water gushing into our home.

"You could just hear screams everywhere, people screaming for safety, for everyone to get to higher ground."

Residents were told to wear face masks to avoid breathing in volcanic ash, and to only drink bottled water.

There were also concerns that the amount of sulphur dioxide gas released by the eruption could cause acid rain in Tonga and Fiji, affecting crops and drinking water, Professor Shane Cronin of the University of Auckland told New Scientist.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern sent over a plane to assess the damage caused by the eruption.

The PM said there was ‘significant damage’ caused to the island.

Katie Greenwood of the IFRC in Fiji told the BBC: "We suspect there could be up to 80,000 people throughout Tonga affected by either the eruption itself or from the tsunami wave and inundation as a result of the eruption.

"That was a shock to people, so we do hold some concern for those outer islands and we're very keen to hear from people."

Topics: World News