Tonga needs ‘urgent help’ after volcanic eruptions, tsunami | Volcanos Stories
Officials say there is an urgent need for drinking water and food, while efforts are being made to assess the extent of the damage.
Tonga is calling for “urgent assistance”, with an urgent need for clean water and food, as it assesses the damage caused by Saturday’s eruption of Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai.
The the volcano erupted with a massive eruption Saturday – said to be the largest since Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 – triggered a tsunami and covered the Pacific island nation in volcanic ash.
“Communication was not enough and the damage to lives and property was not known. What we do know is that Tonga needs urgent help to provide its citizens with safe drinking water and food, “Speaker of Parliament Lord Fakafanua said in a statement on television.
The request was made when experts identified another eruption in Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai.
The Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center reported that the volcano erupted at about 22:10 GMT on Sunday, when the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reportedly detected major waves in the area: “This could be due to another Tonga eruption. .
Australia and New Zealand on Monday sent flights to see damage to Tonga and said he was cooperating with the United States, France and other countries in responding to humanitarian response.
Our P3 Orion has been sent to Tonga to assist in assessing the damage done to Tongatapu and the outer islands. This is a very important event and NZ🇳🇿 has done everything possible to help and support you. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Tonga 🇹🇴
– Nanaia Mahuta (@NanaiaMahuta) January 16, 2022
Australia’s Pacific Pacific prime minister Zed Seselja said initial reports showed no casualties and that the airport “appeared to be in good condition”, but “severe damage” to roads and bridges.
The Red Cross has given its support and the Pacific Islands Forum said it was ready to contribute to what it called “once in a natural millennium disaster”.
“In the coming hours and days we will have a clear picture of the situation in Tonga, as well as the rest of the Blue Pacific Continent,” Secretary-General Henry Puna said in a statement.
The effects of Saturday’s eruption were felt throughout the Pacific, in some island nations such as Fiji, where videos shared on social media record the eruption of the eruption, as well as in North and South America. A huge cloud of ash is now spreading westward toward Australia.