RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The National Institute of Civil Defense Peru (INDECI) ordered the closure of 80 ports on the coast due to abnormal swells caused by the eruption of the Nukualofa volcano in Tonga (South Pacific) that occurred two days ago.
“INDECI informs that, according to the report issued by the Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation of the Peruvian Navy, the number of ports closed along the entire coastline due to the occurrence of abnormal swells as a result of the volcanic activity in Nukualofa, Tonga, on Saturday, January 15, increased to 80,” the agency said in a statement.
On January 16, INDECI ordered the closure of just over 60 ports on the north, central, and south coast due to the eruption.
On January 17, the agency recommended suspending port and fishing activities and securing medium-sized boats and putting small boats ashore to prevent material damage.
It also urged municipal governments to provide information to residents on preventive measures for the use of beaches.
Two women died on January 15 due to the waves caused by the eruption of the volcano thousands of kilometers away.
An underwater volcano located 65 kilometers from Tonga’s capital, Nukualofa, erupted on January 15 and generated a wave of more than one meter that spread over several areas of Asia and the Americas in the Pacific.