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Photographs published this Tuesday, January 18, by the New Zealand Air Force show the devastation caused by a volcanic eruption and a tsunami on the islands of Tonga, in the South Pacific. The inhabitants of the affected territory remain incommunicado due to the cutting of an underwater cable that supplies Internet service. So far, authorities have reported three fatalities.
Little by little, images of the natural disaster are beginning to be seen on the islands of Tonga, the remote island nation in the South Pacific that was left under the ashes after the explosion of the Hunga Tonga – Hunga Ha’apai volcano last Saturday, January 15.
Many areas of the territory, made up of 176 islands and with 105,000 inhabitants, were completely destroyed, according to aerial photographs published this Tuesday, January 18, by the New Zealand Air Force during surveillance flights.
The images show a devastated landscape, with ash covering the ground and significant damage to buildings on the island of Tongatapu, where the capital, Nukualofa, is located.
In other satellite images you can see the underwater eruption on Saturday, with a column of ash, steam and gas that rose like a giant mushroom over the waters of the South Pacific.
Tsunami waves generated by the natural phenomenon crashed against the Tongan coast and crossed the Pacific, causing minor damage from New Zealand to St. Croix in the western United States. A sonic boom could even be heard as far away as Alaska.
New Zealand and Australia send aid to isolated Tonga
The archipelago could spend days, or even weeks, isolated from the rest of the world, because in the current situation it is difficult to repair the only submarine communications cable, which according to an operator was broken during the volcanic eruption.
Submarine fiber optic cables are the backbone of global communications, thanks to their ability to carry data and are about 200 times larger than satellites. However, the disaster in Tonga highlights the vulnerability of this system.
Ash on an airport runway has delayed aid deliveries to the nation, however the New Zealand Army said they hope to deliver drinking water and other supplies on a planned flight for Wednesday.
“Water is one of the top priorities for Tonga right now,” New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said in a statement.
The neighboring country also sent navy ships to Tonga carrying 250,000 liters of drinking water and a desalination plant with the capacity to produce 70,000 liters. In addition, the government pledged an initial $680,000 in aid for recovery efforts.
New Zealand was joined by Australia sending a navy ship from Sydney to Brisbane to prepare a support mission if necessary.
“The ash is proving quite problematic, not only for water and sanitation because Tonga collects water from the roofs of houses, but also in terms of access for aid from Australia, New Zealand and other flights. They need to clear the runway. The most recent information I have is that 60 percent of the runway has been cleared, and this is done manually, I hear as many as 200 volunteers are sweeping the runway for supplies to land on Thursday or Friday if things go as planned planned,” reported Lord Fatafehi Fakafanua, Speaker of the Parliament of Tonga.
On the other hand, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the concern is focused on the Mango and Fonoi islands, inhabited by 36 and 69 people, respectively, since both are at the level of the sea and distress signals have been issued from there.
According to Red Cross calculations, about 80,000 of the country’s 105,000 inhabitants have been affected by the natural disaster, while experts do not rule out more incidents due to volcanic activity.
With Reuters, EFE and AP
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