The news arriving from Tonga is limited, after the violent submarine volcanic eruption and the consequent tsunami that affected the coasts of the South Pacific Ocean. “An unprecedented disaster” was the first local government statement documented by satellite photos showing dire scenarios. Ash covers beaches, infrastructure and homes while two smaller islands have been virtually destroyed with very few houses left standing. The victims are at least three (including a British citizen, who until the last moment tried in vain to save her dogs, a 49-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman). Over 100,000 people were affected by the double event.
NASA researchers have released the first estimate of the eruptive power of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga HaÊ»apai underwater volcano: “The explosive force was 500 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima at the end of World War II”. The NPR radio reports, citing the chief scientist of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, James Garvin. “We have come up with a number that is about 10 megatons of equivalent in TNT,” said the expert.
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Niutoua, a village in Tongatapu (Tonga). Before and after the eruption and the tsunami (Top a shot of January 9, bottom of 17 – Planet Labs PBC)
The government note explains that “some of the smaller and more peripheral islands were seriously affected.On one island all the houses have been destroyed, while on the other there are only two left . Some houses have also been damaged on the main island, that of Tongatapu (where about 74,000 people live). In addition, the water reserves have been severely affected by volcanic ash. ”
Water resources are concerned that could lead to a further humanitarian crisis , the emergence of water-related diseases, air quality, the lack of fuel availability, and the virus considering that since the beginning of the pandemic Tonga has registered only one infection. The fear is well founded and refers to the arrival of rescuers on the Pacific islands. A senior Tongan diplomat in Canberra, Curtis Tuihalangingie, told ABC: “I am concerned about the Covid tsunami that could hit Tonga.” Damage was also recorded in the capital Nuku’alofa. The government has declared a state of emergency . The Pope too expressed closeness and solidarity with the population.
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The satellite photo of Kanokupolu, Tongatapu (Top a shot of January 14, bottom of 16 – Planet Labs PBC)
Communications, which are outlining the extent of the destruction,satellite phones . Devices mostly in possession of foreign embassies.
An important submarine digital connectivity cable linking Tonga to Fiji is broken. The internet is out of order and it is not possible to talk to the rest of the world, unless there is a connection via satellites. The technicians have identified two failures: damage 37 km from the coast while the other break is close to the erupted volcano. Condition that makes repair impossible, at least for now. Meanwhile, the ship responsible for the matter is traveling from nearby Pope New Guinea and will dictate the timing of the repair.
“Tonga risks being isolated for quite some time, considering that 99% of communications are via submarine cables,” said Radio New Zealand. The confirmation came later from the New Zealand foreign ministry – which hypothesized for the restoration of the connection: ” The lines will be active again not earlier than a month “. Buffer solution, therefore, and given by the local operator Digicel who restored part of the outdated 2G system. At least the inhabitants will be able to call and send messages to a limited extent in the archipelago.
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The international airport of Fua’amotu
To create serious problems was the ash that actually hindered the rescue machine.and interrupted maritime transport routes. At first the “ash clouds”, released by the volcano, and now the thick layer of dust, deposited on the ground, made the connections unsafe. But after a hard work, which involved about 200 people, the runway of the Fua’Amotu International Airporthas been restored. “The main airstrip, which was buried in 5-10 centimeters of volcanic ash, is operational again,” announced Jonathan Veitch, in charge of coordinating UN operations. This will allow emergency flights to arrive. However, the ash problem remains. Fatafehi ​​Fakafanua, president of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, said: “The ashes are proving to be problematic for water and sanitation because the inhabitants collect water from the roofs of the houses.”
New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta had already ensured the take-off of a C-130 loaded with humanitarian aid such as water, generators and hygiene kits. The army is already active at sea, moving towards the archipelago with two ships, the Wellington and the Aotearoa, which in addition to humanitarian supplies will transport a Seasprite helicopter. In detail, Aotearoa will be able to guarantee 250,000 liters of drinking water and produce 70,000 per day thanks to a desalination plant. Australia also sent a ship. In addition, New Zealand has announced aid of one million New Zealand dollars.
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Tonga, the eruption of the undersea volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai observed by the satellite
As for the volcanic eruption , plumes of gas, smoke and debris were recorded from the volcano up to 20 km (12.5 miles) in the sky.
It emerges that of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga HaÊ»apai volcanoonly two small portions of land remain above sea level, previously larger and connected by a tongue that widened up to 1.2 kilometers. Experts speak of the “worst volcanic eruption of the last 30 years” occurred on the entire planet, comparable to that of the Pinatubo volcano, in the Philippines, in 1991, which caused 1,450 deaths and higher than the eruption, with thousands of deaths, of the Indonesian volcano Krakatau in 1883.
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Tonga, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano before and after the eruption
The eruption was so powerful that it was felt as far as Alaska, 9,000 km away, with acoustic waves recorded even on Etna. Due to the resulting tsunami, an oil spill occurred on some beaches in Peru, where two women died overwhelmed by anomalous waves.
New aerial photos taken by the New Zealand Defense Forces show the Hapai Islands, in the center of the archipelago, completely covered in ash.
