Unusual high waves from volcano eruption in Tonga cause oil spill in Peru

Unusually high waves attributed to the eruption of an undersea volcano in Tonga caused an oil spill on the Peruvian coast, but authorities said Monday the spill was controlled within hours and there’s an ongoing process to clean the area.

The Peruvian Civil Defence Institute said in a press release that a ship was loading oil into La Pampilla refinery on the Pacific coast on Sunday when strong waves moved the boat and caused a spill.

The government didn’t say how many gallons were spilled only that local and federal authorities were working to clean the coast.