The eruption of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai caused a tsunami with waves up to 15 meters high. At least three people have died. One of the most serious problems is the scarcity of drinking water.
After days of uncertainty, the Government of Tonga has described this Tuesday as “an unprecedented disaster” tsunami and volcanic eruption suffered by this South Pacific archipelago where the death of three people has been confirmed.
In its first official statement since the natural disaster that occurred on Saturday, the Government describes how the eruption of the Southern People caused a tsunami with waves up to 15 meters high that hit several islands of the 169 of this archipelago.
The three confirmed fatalities are a British woman, another 65-year-old woman from the mango island and a man of 49 from the island Nomuka.
The government statement, which was delayed due to the cut off of communications in the archipelago, describes how the catastrophe has caused the destruction of all the houses in Mango, populated by 36 people, while only two remained standing in the Fonoifua Island, the two most affected along with Nomuka.
The Executive has ordered the deployment of two military ships to bring humanitarian aid to some of the most affected areas in difficult conditions due to the destruction on the coasts and the dense layer of ash that has covered this territory.
Kanokupolu, on the island of Tongatapu (Tonga) before and after the eruption and tsunami. Photo: EFE
Shortage of drinking water
One of the most serious problems pointed out by the Executive is the shortage of drinking water, which it tries to remedy with the collaboration of other nations, such as New Zealand and Australia.
Two New Zealand Navy ships set sail today loaded with humanitarian aid bound for Tonga, where they are scheduled to arrive this Friday, while Australia has another ship ready with emergency aid, including 250,000 liters of drinking water and a desalination with a capacity to produce 70,000 liters.
The Red Cross estimates that some 80,000 people, of the 105,000 inhabitants of the country, have been affected by this natural disaster, and experts do not rule out other incidents of volcanic activity.
The aerial images taken this Tuesday by reconnaissance flights of the New Zealand Air Force showed a lunar landscape, where the ash covers the entire terrain and significant damage to the buildings located on the island of Tongatapu, where the capital, Nuku’, is located. alofa
Nomuka Island (Tonga) before and after the eruption and subsequent tsunami. Photo: EFE
submarine cable break
The country has remained practically incommunicado due to the fact that the submarine cable through which all telephone and Internet communications are connected has been broken some 37 kilometers away from the coast.
The thunderous eruption of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai, which could be heard hundreds of kilometers away and clearly seen from space, also caused the volcano to disappear from the sea surface.
The disappearance of the volcano makes it difficult for experts to control its underwater activity, with a long history of eruptions and which made Saturday’s one of the most violent that has been recorded in the last 30 years on the planet.
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
