New images appear to show the majority of structures on the Tongan island of Atatā have been wiped out after a tsunami and volcanic eruption last week.
An aerial view of Atatā island taken by New Zealand Defence Force after the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai and tsunami. Photo: NZDF
The New Zealand Defence Force has described the damage to the island of Atatā as “catastrophic” in its surveillance photo, which was posted online by a resort based there.
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) also released an image of Atatā island on 18 January, with an assessment that 72 structures had been damaged and the entire island covered in ash.
However, it noted it was a preliminary analysis and had not yet been validated on the ground.
The Royal Sunset Island resort posted on Facebook that all residents had now been evacuated to the mainland.
The resort was fully submerged by the tsunami and it was not expected there would be much left.
Other satellite imagery circulating online also appeared to show major damage on the island.
The ships were sent before an official request for help from the Tongan government, but the statement from Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta’s office this afternoon confirmed the vessels – expected to arrive by Friday, depending on weather – had been approved.
The eruption was likely the world’s largest in the past three decades, and support and aid efforts have been stymied by communications outages after the blast.
US company SubCom expected repairs to the undersea cable, which carries most of Tonga’s communications, would take at least four weeks.
A mobile network was expected to be established using the University of South Pacific’s satellite dish today, though the connection would likely be limited and patchy.
Volcanic activity and tsunami risk continues to be monitored.
The Tongan government has confirmed that all houses on the island of Mango were wiped out in the tsunami that followed Saturday’s volcanic eruption.
An aerial photo taken from a New Zealand Defence force P-3 Orion on January 16, 2022 shows Mango island in Tonga with no houses left after impact from a tsunami. The inset image shows some makeshift shelters. Photo: Crown copyright 2022 NZDF
It confirmed that three people are now known to have died: a 65-year-old woman in Mango and a 49-year-old man in Nomuka, both in the outlying Ha’apai island group; as well as British national Angela Glover in Tongatapu.
The Tongan navy had deployed with health teams and water, food and tents to the Ha’apai islands.
One aerial image taken by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) showed Mango and described the damage there as “catastrophic”.
No houses, but just a few temporary tarpaulin shelters could be seen.
A view over Nomuka in Tonga from a New Zealand Defence Force P-3K2 Orion surveillance flight after the islands were hit by a tsunami triggered by an undersea volcanic eruption. Photo: Supplied / NZ Defence Force
The Tongan government said Mango, Atata, and Fonoifua islands were being evacuated, and that water supplies in Tonga were seriously affected. It said all houses were destroyed on Mango Island, only two houses remained on Fonoifua and extensive damage occurred on Nomuka Island.
The government also said there were multiple injuries.
It is the first official statement the kingdom has made about the disaster to international media.
The government said parts of the western side of Tongatapu, including Kanokupolu, were being evacuated after dozens of houses were damaged, and that in the central district many houses were damaged in Kolomotu’a and on the island of ‘Eua.
A diplomat, Tonga’s deputy head of mission in Australia, Curtis Tu’ihalangingie, earlier described the images taken by the NZDF reconnaissance flight as “alarming”, saying they showed numerous buildings missing on Atata island as well.
“People panic, people run and get injuries,” Tu’ihalangingie told Reuters. “Possibly there will be more deaths and we just pray that is not the case.”
With communications in the South Pacific island nation cut, the true extent of casualties is still not clear.
Australia’s Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja said conditions on other outer islands were “very tough, we understand, with many houses being destroyed in the tsunami”.
The Tongan navy reported the area was hit by waves estimated to be 5m-10m high, said the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Fonoifua Island in Ha’apai, Tonga, as seen from an NZDF P-3 Orion reconnaissance flight after the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai. The image caption says all but the largest buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. Photo: NZDF
Atata and Mango are between 50km and 70km from the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano, which sent tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean and was heard some 2300km away in New Zealand when it erupted on Saturday.
Atata has a population of about 100 people and Mango about 50 people.
“It is very alarming to see the wave possibly went through Atata from one end to the other,” Tu’ihalangingie said.
The NZDF images were posted unofficially on a Facebook site and confirmed by Tu’ihalangingie.
Fua’amotu International Airport in Tonga as seen from a New Zealand Defence Force P-3 Orion reconnaisance flight, after the eruption of Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai. The image caption says workers are using shovels and wheelbarrows to clear volcanic ash from the runway. Photo: Crown copyright 2022 NZDF
Taken from a P-3K2 Orion plane, they also showed workers on the runway clearing volcanic ash at Fua’amotu International Airport, the country’s main airfield.
One caption described the runway as “unserviceable” because of the layer of ash on it, meaning aircraft cannot land there.
It said the clearance operation was being done with shovels and wheelbarrows, and that “no heavy excavation machinery was observed”.
The Tongan government said wharves were also damaged in the eruption.
Nomuka Island in Ha’apai, Tonga, as seen from an NZDF P-3 Orion reconnaisance flight after the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai. The image caption says extensive damage was observed through the village with most coastal buildings destroyed. Photo: NZDF
‘We try to keep a positive mind’
Aucklander Lavinia Faleofa’s uncle, cousin and in-laws live on Nomuka island in one of the closest villages to the volcano, just 70km to the north-east.
Faleofa’s aunt is with her in New Zealand, and had been due to catch a repatriation flight back to the island this week.
The family last spoke to their relatives on Friday, when they talked about their aunt finalising the paperwork for her aunt’s flight home.
“There was no thoughts that we would not be speaking after that conversation,” Faleofa told RNZ.
The family have tried to reach their relatives online and have made repeated calls to their home phone.
“We know that it’s down, but we know that there’s always that hope that you might call, it might ring, and they might answer.
“We try to keep a positive mind, we are trying to be optimistic.”
She hoped her uncle and family were able to move inland from their house which faces one of the beaches.
Faleofa said Nomuka was unrecognisable in the aerial images taken after the eruption which had covered the colourful rooftops and white sand with grey ash.
“I can’t come to fathom that, that is what it looks like right now.
“I’ve never seen anything like it”.
Faleofa’s aunt has been on a rollercoaster of emotions, she said. “Without anybody telling us we already knew that there was no way in a couple of weeks that she’d be going back.”
– Reuters / RNZ
FAKAMATALA NOUNOU FAKATONGA
Kuo fakapapau’i mei he pule’anga Tonga ‘i ha’anau fakamatala tonu ki he mītia kuo ‘i ai ha fine’eiki ta’u 65 mei Mango kuo mate, mo e ta’u 49 mei Nomuka pea pehē ki he fefine Pilitānia ko Angela Glover. Kuo ‘osi tuku atu ‘e he pule’anga Tonga ‘ene timi ngāue ki he Mo’ui’ ki he ‘otu motu’ mo e vai inu, me’akai mo e tēniti.
‘Auha kotoa ‘a e ngaahi ‘api ‘i Mango’. Fale pe ‘e ua kei tu’u ‘i Fonoi, pea ne uesia mo Nomuka foki. Ko Mango kuo ‘ikai toe ‘i ai ha fale ai ko e teniti tapoleni pe.
Kuo fai hono fetukutuku ‘o Mango, ‘Atatā, Fonoifua pea ‘oku uesia ‘aupito ‘a e vai inu ‘i Tonga. Pehē ‘e he pule’anga Tonga’ ne lahi ‘a e lavelavea. ‘I ai ‘a e ngaahi fale ne maumau’I ‘I Kanokupolu pea kuo fai ‘a e fetukutuku mei ai. Lahi foki e ngaahi fale ne maumau’I ‘I Kolomotu’a mo ‘Eua.
As the first details of the extent of damage in Tonga from Saturday’s volcanic eruption begins to emerge, Tongans in Australia remain anxious to contact their families.
The Aholelei and Kaho family members wait to hear from their relatives (Taani Kaho, Niela Aholelei, Sikahema Aholelei, Roberta Aholelei, Fonise Aholelei, Veteange Aholelei, Eseta Aholelei, Luisa Aholelei, Ofa Kaho and Manuefanga Aholelei) CREDIT:ALEX ELLINGHAUSEN
The Red Cross estimates 80,000 people may have been affected by the eruption and the tsunami that followed.
The first death has been confirmed as a British woman who was swept away.
Satellite photographs show that the uninhabited Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai island was virtually obliterated by the blast.
New Zealand Prime Minister said Nuku’alofa had suffered significant damage, with boats and large boulders washed ashore on the northern side of the capital.
The city was covered in a thick layer of volcanic dust.
There has been little news of damage in the outer islands. An RNZAF Orion made a reconnaissance flight over the area yesterday to assess damage,
There are fears that volcanic ash may contaminate water supplies and people have been asked to drink bottled water.
As news of the damage emerges, Tongans living in Australia have continued to try to contact their families.
President of the Tongan Association for Canberra and Queanbeyan Sikahema Aholelei said the past few days had spent nervously, watching the news and listening to the radio for updates.
Aholelei told the Melbourne Age the last time he spoke to his family was on Saturday night. He said there was a sound like thunder and then the line went dead.
“We keep trying and seeing if we can contact them by phone, WhatsApp, or Facebook,” he said.
“But maybe they haven’t been able to charge their phones.”
Queensland man Mosese Sitapa said he was calling his son Elone when the tsunami smashed through their home in Tonga.
The last time Sydney resident Petilise Tuima spoke with her family was on Saturday afternoon as they evacuated to higher ground, with 14 people squeezed into a small car.
“We are quite stressed at the moment,” she said.
“They didn’t take any food, they just took water … everyone was packed in the car. Everyone is calling each other within our Tongan groups, wanting to see if anyone has picked up or heard anything … We are just desperate.”
Tongan Olympian Pita Taufatofua has started a fundraising page for victims of Saturday’s devastating volcanic eruption.
He said he had not heard from his family, including his father.
“For now my focus is what I can do from my current position,” he said.
“My focus is on the people of Tonga who will need all our help to rebuild.
“Many Tongans around the world are in the same boat as me and worried about their families in Tonga.”
Last weekend’s volcanic eruption could be an inspiration for the nation’s rugby league team.
Speaking from the UK, Tonga’s coach Kristian Woolf told the Sydney Morning Herald the eruption would motivate the team to “try and put a smile on the locals’ faces” when they played in the World Cup at the end of the year.
Woolf said he and several players, including Konrad Hurrell, had still not been in contact with their families in Tonga.
As we reported yesterday, Tonga has faced severe communications problems, with the undersea cable cut in two places and only very limited satellite communication.
“I know a lot of people over there, I’ve spoken to a number of players who have a lot of close family in Tonga, but nobody has been able to have any contact at this stage – the worst thing is not knowing anything,” Woolf said.
He said news about the eruption was devastating.
“You can only hope everyone has got to higher ground,” Woolf said.
“You hope everything is alright, and everyone is in your thoughts, but not having that contact at the moment makes it really difficult.”
“All the players have either parents or siblings, grandparents, aunties and uncles living there – they have all been affected and are hoping for the best.
“The reason the players make the sacrifices they do to play for Tonga is the chance to make their families proud.
“The time will come to represent Tonga at the World Cup, and hopefully we can put some smiles on their faces.”
Tonga, whose last Test was the historic win over Australia, will have a warm-up game against France in France before the World Cup, which will begin in England at the end of October.
Relief for victims
There has been talk among some rugby league players about putting together a relief package for victims.
Tongan rugby union player Malakai Fekitoa, who plays for the Wasps in the UK, has launched a fundraising drive.
Ha’api-born Fekitoa, who has not been able to contact his mother in Tonga, is raising money to buy essential products.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to communicate with my mother and all my family who are there,” Fekitoa wrote on GoFundMe. “I am making this collection in first person cause I want to make sure that all the aid destined is received by the community.
“We need to send essential products, so we will send as many containers as possible from Auckland to Tonga.”
Fekitoa the next ship was due to leave Auckland for Tonga is on January 22.
More than 130 donations have already been made including from current and former Wasps players.
The main points
Tongan rugby league and union players in the UK are anxious to contact their families.
Players from both codes are planning action to support victims of the eruption.
Kristian Woolf, who coaches Tonga’s national team, said the eruption could be an inspiration for the Tongan side in this year’s World cup.
For more information
‘Worst thing is not knowing’: Tongan players’ agonising wait for contact from loved ones
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed two deaths so far following the volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga on Saturday..
“Initial reports from inside Tonga, channeled via Dr Setoya, are that buildings and infrastructure have been damaged – around 100 houses have been damaged and 50 completely destroyed just on the main island of Tongatapu.
“Two deaths have been reported to date. Many remain displaced, with 89 people taking shelter in evacuation centres on the island of ‘Eua and many more seeking shelter with relatives. Around 2cm of ash and dust has fallen on Tongatapu, raising concerns of air pollution and the potential contamination of food and water supplies.
“Thankfully, all health facilities on Tongatapu are fully functioning and clean-up efforts have been initiated”.
A P-3K2 Orion aircraft flies over an area of Tonga that shows Ash on homes and surrounding vegetation. Photo: New Zealand Defence Force. Licenced under Creative Commons BY 4.0.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano, which erupted on Saturday, was about 65km north of Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa.
There is now a huge clean-up operation in the town, which has been blanketed in thick volcanic dust.
Serious damage has been reported from the west coast of Tongatapu and a state of emergency has been declared.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed two deaths so far, but Fiji-based United Nations co-ordinator Jonathan Veitch said there were still areas that had not been contacted.
Acting High Commissioner for New Zealand in Tonga Peter Lund told Tagata Pasifika he could see rubble, large rocks and damaged buildings, with serious damage along the west coast of Tongatapu.
“There is a huge clean-up operation underway, the town has been blanketed in a thick blanket of volcanic dust, but look they’re making progress… roads are being cleared,” he said.
“I have worked in a lot of emergencies but this is one of the hardest in terms of communicating and trying to get information from there. With the severing of the cable that comes from Fiji they’re just cut off completely. We’re relying 100 percent on satellite phones.
“We’ve been discussing with New Zealand and Australia and UN colleagues … and we hope to have this [cable] back up and running relatively soon, but it’s been a bit of a struggle.”
It had been “a lot more difficult” than regular operations, Veitch said.
One of the biggest concerns in the crisis was clean water, he said.
“I think one of the first things that can be done is if those aircraft or those ships that both New Zealand and Australia have offered can provide bottled drinking water. That’s a very small, short-term solution.
“We need to ensure that the desalination plants are functioning well and properly … and we need to send a lot of testing kits and other material over there so people can treat their own water, because as you know, the vast majority of the population in Tonga is reliant on rainwater, and with the ash as it currently is, it has been a bit acidic, so we’re not sure of the quality of the water right now.”
Another issue was access.
“Tonga is one of the few lucky countries in the world that hasn’t had Covid … so we’ll have to operate rather remotely. So we’ll be supporting the government to do the implementation and then working very much through local organisations.”
For those in Tonga who were cut off, Veitch said the main message was “everybody is working day and night on this. We are putting our supplies together. We are ready to move. We have teams on the ground. We are coming up with cash and other supply solutions … so help is on its way”.
A map from the United Nations released online on 17 January illustrated the effects of the volcanic eruption in Nomuka island as detected from a satellite image.
It noted, however, this was a preliminary analysis and has not yet been validated in the field.
Tonga’s deputy head of mission in Australia, Curtis Tu’ihalangingie, said Tonga was concerned that aid deliveries could spread Covid-19 to the Covid-free nation.
“We don’t want to bring in another wave – a tsunami of Covid-19,” Tu’ihalangingie told Reuters by telephone, urging the public to wait for a disaster relief fund to donate.
Any aid sent to Tonga would need to be quarantined, and it was likely no foreign personnel would be allowed to disembark aircraft, he said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said there had been no contact from the Ha’apai group of islands and there was “particular concern” about two small low-lying islands – Fonoi and Mango, where an active distress beacon had been detected.
According to the Tonga government, 36 people live on Mango and 69 on Fonoi.
Australia’s Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja said Tongan officials were planning to evacuate people from outer islands where “they’re doing it very tough, we understand, with many houses being destroyed in the tsunami”.
By Christine Rovoi, RNZ Pacific Journalist and is republished with permission.
A group of Tongan seasonal workers stranded in New Zealand because their flight home this week has been cancelled are better off staying in Aotearoa, says an RSE scheme official.
The flight was scheduled to leave Auckland on Thursday.
The discoloration of the sea shows a significant discharge of volcanic fluids (steam, condensates laden with chemical elements) into the sea and contaminating the seawater. Photo: Tonga Geological Service
Air New Zealand postponed its repatriation flight to Tonga because of the volcanic ash clouds from the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption last weekend.
Seventy Tongan seasonal workers were among those booked on that flight, with majority of the labourers returning home after as long as two years. Some have not heard from their families since Saturday.
There are 800 Tongan labourers in the Recognised Seasonal Employers Scheme.
RSE scheme liaison Sefita Hao’uli said the workers fear for their families’ safety and are “disappointed they won’t be seeing their loved ones anytime soon.”
“But they should also be aware that this is something that was unexpected,” Hao’uli said.
“In the interest of everybody’s safety and making sure that not only are they safe on this end but if and when they do go back home, they will also be safe and not become a burden to their families.”
They have to make a decision that best suits them, Hao’uli said.
“The repatriation flight is now delayed indefinitely. It is also very likely that the incoming flight on the 25th of January which was supposed to bring workers is also going to be delayed indefinitely.”
Tongan community liaison, Sefita Hao’uli Photo: Tangata O Le Moana
Air NZ is yet to confirm the status of that scheduled flight from Tonga next Tuesday.
In a statement, the airline said they are monitoring the situation closely and their hearts go out to the people of Tonga.
“It is the airline’s decision that we are following through. If the airline doesn’t deem it fit to fly, there will be no flight. Everybody accepts that,” Hao’uli said.
There is significant damage to the western coast of Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu
The New Zealand High Commission said the damage is centred along the western coast, where there are many resorts, and the waterfront of the capital, Nuku’alofa where a thick layer of ash remains blanketed.
Tongan authorities are working to establish communication with smaller islands “as a matter of priority”, the commission said.
Hao’uli said they are working with the employers, airline and immigration officials to accommodate the stranded Tongan labourers.
“We met with the employers and they are happy to act in the best way possible to make sure the workers are not going to be left high and dry. That means that if they wish to remain and continue to be employed, that will be the case.
.. Photo: Supplied/NZ Ethical Employers
“We don’t want to see our workers go and make things any worse in Tonga place than it is already. There could be food and water issues, there could be some health issues and don’t forget we got Covid to contend with.
“Given the multiple issues that they have to face, I think it’s very important to take a more cautionary approach,” Hao’uli said.
Some workers have already cancelled their visas, Hao’uli said, with majority of the 70 stranded holding bridging visas which enables them to stay in New Zealand “until such time there’s a flight available for them.”
Tongan RSE workers in Motueka. Photo: Supplied/Charlotte Bedford
“In cases like this when they were ready to go and now the flight is cancelled, Immigration NZ has been accommodating enough to say ‘this is beyond your control,’ and if the workers wish to remain in the country and work until later, then their visa could be extended.”
This degree of flexibility can help stranded seasonal workers in New Zealand, Hao’uli said.
Is is safe to travel to Tonga?
“What we would really like to know is what’s the situation in Tonga and whether it’s safe for our workers to be able to go home?
“We need to ensure that everything is looked into otherwise we might end up contributing to the difficulties back in Tonga.”
Hao’uli said by insisting on going well ahead when “perhaps they should wait until it’s a lot more clear as to what Tonga needs and get those needs taken care of before they board the flight.”
This story appeared on RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.
A distress signal has been detected in an isolated, low-lying group of islands in the Tonga archipelago following Saturday’s massive volcanic eruption and tsunami, the United Nations said, prompting particular concern for its inhabitants.
The uninhabited volcanic island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted on Saturday. Photo: Tonga Geological Services
Initial reports suggested no mass casualties on the main island of Tongatapu, but two people were reported missing and the capital Nuku’alofa was badly damaged, as were resorts and homes along the island’s western beaches, it said.
“Further volcanic activity cannot be ruled out,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in the update on Monday, reporting only minor injuries but emphasising that formal assessments, especially of the outer islands, had yet to be released with communications badly hit.
The uninhabited volcanic island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai all but disappeared following the blast, according to satellite images from around 12 hours later. The Pacific archipelago was blanketed in ash and volcanic ash clouds spread to countries thousands of kilometres to the west.
The OCHA said there had been no contact from the Ha’apai group of islands and there was “particular concern” about two small low-lying islands – Fonoi and Mango, where an active distress beacon had been detected.
According to the Tonga government, 36 people live on Mango and 69 on Fonoi.
Experts said the volcano, which last erupted in 2014, had been puffing away for about a month before rising magma, superheated to around 1000 degrees Celsius, met with 20-degree seawater, causing an instantaneous and massive explosion.
The unusual “astounding” speed and force of the eruption indicated a greater force at play than simply magma meeting water, scientists said.
Australia and New Zealand sent surveillance flights on Monday to assess damage and Australia’s Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja said Australian police had visited beaches and reported significant damage with “houses thrown around”.
The impact of the eruption was felt as far away as Fiji, New Zealand, the United States and Japan. Two people drowned off a beach in northern Peru due to high waves caused by the tsunami.
Tonga’s deputy head of mission in Australia, Curtis Tu’ihalangingie, said Tonga was concerned about the risk of aid deliveries spreading Covid-19 to the island, which is Covid-free.
“We don’t want to bring in another wave – a tsunami of Covid-19,” Tu’ihalangingie told Reuters by telephone.
“When people see such a huge explosion they want to help,” he said, but added Tonga diplomats were also concerned by some private fundraising efforts and urged the public to wait until a disaster relief fund was announced.
Any aid sent to Tonga would need to be quarantined, and it was likely no foreign personnel would be allowed to disembark aircraft, he said.
International communication has been severely hampered by damage to an undersea cable, which could take more than a week to restore, and Australia and New Zealand were assisting with satellite calls, he said.
Telephone networks in Tonga have been restored but ash was posing a major health concern, contaminating drinking water.
“Most people are not aware the ash is toxic and bad for them to breathe and they have to wear a mask,” Tu’ihalangingie said.
‘Completely destroyed’
The Ha’atafu Beach Resort, on the Hihifo peninsula, 21 km west of the capital Nuku’alofa, was “completely wiped out”, the owners said on Facebook.
The family that manages the resort had run for their lives through the bush to escape the tsunami, it said. “The whole western coastline has been completely destroyed along with Kanukupolu village,” the resort said.
The Red Cross said it was mobilising its network to respond to what it called the worst volcanic eruption the Pacific has experienced in decades.
Katie Greenwood, the Pacific head of delegation for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told Reuters up to 80,000 people could have been affected by the tsunami.
Alexander Matheou, the federation’s Asia Pacific regional director, said water purification, providing shelter and reuniting families were the priorities – but they had yet to establish direct contact with colleagues on the ground and were relying on estimates based on previous such disasters.
Scientists were struggling to monitor the volcano, after the explosion destroyed its sea-level crater and drowned its mass, obscuring it from satellites.
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai has erupted regularly over the past few decades. Early data suggests the eruption was the biggest since Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines 30 years ago, New Zealand-based volcanologist Shane Cronin told RNZ.
“This is an eruption best witnessed from space,” Cronin said.
It could be weeks before Tonga’s crucial undersea cable – which connects it to the world – is back online.
The undersea cable could cost anywhere from $US250,000 upwards to repair. Photo: 123rf
The cable carries nearly all digital information including the internet and phone communications in and out of Tonga.
It was damaged after the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption nearby on Saturday.
Dean Veverka is the director of the International Cable Protection Committee and chief technical officer for Southern Cross Cables – which owns two other cables in the area.
The Tongan cable, which is part owned by the Tongan government, has broken about 37km off Tonga, he said.
The repair requires a ship which is currently in Papua New Guinea about 2500 kilometres away, so it could be a couple of weeks before the cable is back up and running.
“It’s very serious because the satellites can only handle … a small percentage of the traffic requirements out of any country.
“These days submarine cables carry about 99 percent of all communications between countries.
“It will be quite limiting the communication to Tonga for a fair while.”
It could cost anywhere from $US250,000 upwards to repair, he said.
In the meantime, satellite communications appear to be disrupted by the massive ash cloud thrown up by the volcano.
NZ Joint Forces commander rear admiral Jim Gilmour told RNZ on Monday the communication problems – likely from the ash – prevented pictures taken during the reconnaissance flight being sent back to New Zealand for analysis from the air.
It had to be done once the plane landed back in New Zealand on Monday evening.
The Tonga cable connects into Suva in Fiji, and from there to the Southern Cross cable onto New Zealand, Australia and the US.
There is significant damage to the western coast of Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu.
There has been little communication with Tonga since the eruption Photo: AFP / National Institute of Information and Communications
The New Zealand High Commission says the damage is centred along the western coast, where there are many resorts, and the waterfront of the capital, Nuku’alofa.
A thick layer of ash remains blanketed over the capital.
Authorities are working to establish communication with smaller islands “as a matter of priority”, the commission said.
The commission advised any New Zealanders in Tonga to register with www.safetravel.govt.nz and urged them to follow advice from local authorities, including any tsunami evacuation orders.
The Defence Force carried out a surveillance flight of the islands today. Plans are underway for a humanitarian relief flight when conditions allow.
Aid agencies are meeting today to discuss a plan of action to provide relief to people affected by the tsunami in Tonga and the Lau Islands of Fiji.
International NGO’s including Save the Children will be lead by the UN Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs in a meeting today.
Shairana Ali is the chief executive of Fiji NGO Save the Children. Photo: Save the Children
Save the Children Fiji chief executive Shairana Ali said they were planning on how best to manage and provide fresh drinking water food and psycho-social support .
“All the stakeholders are going to be discussing the respective plans and to come up with a collective response, not only for Fiji but for Tonga and to get an update from the ground to get an appropriate response.”
She said the response may have to be co-ordinated remotely in the case of another eruption.
The families in Tonga are at risk of exposure to unsafe air and water due to ash and smoke.
Satellite images indicate that the eruption has emitted a 5 km-wide plume of ash, steam and gas, rising about 20km above the volcano.
Tonga’s government has asked the public to wear masks and use bottled water for now.
Ali said ash had contaminated many fresh water sources.
“There is significant threat to food security and also to water sources in Tonga and so the immediate need right now for people in Tonga is that they need food and clean water.”
She said information coming out of Tonga was still scarce due to sporadic communication and phone lines being down.
Photo: 123rf
Oxfam is confident their local team and other local humanitarian groups in Tonga will be able to provide an initial immediate response to support people with food and drinking water.
Oxfam have filtering units in Tongatapu which can turn salt water into drinking water and it’s likely teams on the ground will already be responding.
Oxfam Aotearoa humanitarian lead Carlos Calderόn said it would be greatly needed, after the water supply became contaminated with ash fall.
“They do have units that could filter water from the ocean. They may have capacity to filter more or less 10,000L an hour which could be at some point enough to at least provide drinking water.”
Calderόn said they could also help with food security.
UNICEF is ready to transport its pre-positioned emergency supplies from Fiji and Brisbane warehouses.
These include essential water, sanitation, and hygiene kits, water containers and buckets, water field test kits, tarpaulins, recreational kits, and tents, that can be immediately mobilized for distribution.
With borders closed in Tonga due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, UNICEF will work with the Tongan government and its partners on the ground to reach children and families with the support they urgently need.
More than 80 percent of households in Tonga grow crops to meet their daily needs.
Tearfund chief executive Ian McInnes said they would be responding immediately to the need for clean drinking water and tending to damaged crops.
Photo: lenor/123RF
Aviation warnings
Aviation warnings continue to be issued by Fiji Meteorological Service.
Senior forecaster Sakeasi Waibute said he had been unable to reach his colleagues in Tonga, but he was still issuing warnings.
He said the Tsunami warning remained in place for Tonga and would not change until the official word comes from local authorities.
But it has been cancelled for Fiji at this moment.
He said Fiji’s Lau group was still being inundated by surges, but it was unclear exactly what the latest was with communicating issues still hampering Tonga.
