What Is Left From Tonga After The Eruption And Tsunami: NEW PHOTOS
Three new deaths have been confirmed by the Tongan government. Saturday's volcanic eruption has claimed six lives so far. The first satellite images have been published. Showing the scale of the damage caused by the largest volcanic eruption in the world in the last 30 years!
The evacuation began immediately from the surrounding islands, including an entire village on Mango Island. According to Reuters, the deaths of a 65-year-old lady on Mango Island and a 49-year-old man on Nomuka Island have been confirmed, as well the death of British citizen Angela Glover. Volunteers cleaned the airport's main runway today, to allow planes to bring in much-needed drinking water and food supplies. The internet is off there, but some local phone services are still available; work is underway to restore full communication.
Angela Glove's brother said that this 50-years old lost her life while trying to save her dogs from the tsunami, reported by British news agency PA. New Zealand is sending aid to Tonga, but volcanic ash was preventing the landing of planes with humanitarian aid. New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern said yesterday: "Seeing some of those waves come in and peeling back fencelines and structures, you can see the force of those surges". Everyone just wants to establish how wide-scale that impact has been … we want to be in Tonga and on the ground as soon as we are possibly able to be."
New Zealand authorities have said they will need a few days for warships to approach the island to bring in the necessary supplies. The eruption caused a tsunami to cut the underwater cables, which is why this country was cut off from the outside world! A spokesperson for Southern Cross Cable, which operates other undersea cable networks across the region, said that testing by Fintel and Tonga Cable on Sunday afternoon “seems to confirm a likely cable break around 37km offshore from Tonga”.
Fear of a possible humanitarian crisis is growing! The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said there was no contact with the Ha'apai island group after the eruption of the volcano on Saturday. OCHA said it was particularly concerned about two small islands, Mango and Fonoi. An active distress signal was sent from Mango.
