Pictures of the destruction caused by tsunami in Tonga have been horrifying. Homes are reduced to rubble and villages were destroyed.
The South Pacific archipelago was rocked by the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai underwater volcano on Saturday, which resulted in a tsunami striking minutes later.
Three people have been killed in the catastrophe, with all houses on Mango Island totalled.
Locals on Tongatapu’s Kanokupolu Village are seen gazing at their houses, which were many times destroyed by the trees. Cars, however, can be seen hidden under branches.
The devastation caused in Tonga by the tsunami has been captured on horrifying photos
Tonga was rocked on Saturday by an underwater volcano, which caused tsunamis to the islands just minutes later
In the aftermath of the South Pacific disaster, a car can be seen being buried beneath a pile of branches.
Photos show Kanokupolu Village on Tongatapu looking at their houses, which many were destroyed by the trees.
NASA researchers have calculated that the explosion was 10 megatons equivalent to TNT. This is 500 times stronger than the 1945 nuclear bomb on Hiroshima.
NPR’s James Garvin was the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s chief scientist. He said that although the explosion was impressive, there would not be another one of this magnitude for a while.
He said, “If this past precedent for volcanic explosions in that kind of setting has any significance then we won’t have another one”
The eruption was heard as far away as Alaska, some 9,744 kilometres distant.
Michael Poland from the U.S. Geological Survey, said that this event may have been the loudest ever recorded.
“This may be the most loud eruption since…” [the Indonesian volcano]Krakatau, 1883,” he said to the publication.
These islands are located in the South Pacific, over what is known as the subduction zone. It’s the result of a collision between two of the earth’s tectonic plates. One slips underneath the other.
Garvin claimed that Hunga Tonga Ha’apai developed as layers of liquid magnesium, which filled its chambers.
According to him, the cause of the explosion was due to an underwater change that caused seawater to flood into the chambers.
Amazing video captured the blast as the terrified residents fled to the shore.
A huge plume ash rises over the horizon 40 miles from the underwater volcano in this video. The explosion is then heard as a loud bang.
The shockwave strikes and the person who is filming as well as other observers are visible visibly shaking. They immediately run in-land and turn their backs to the ocean.
Pictured: Video footage captured moments before a shockwave from the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai underwater volcano struck Tonga’s shores
It showed the massive plume of ash, steam, and smoke rising from the volcano moments before Tonga’s shockwave.
A young man, looking like a child, immediately turns from the water to run and runs. After only a few seconds, others follow suit, probably after realising how dangerous they were.
The people are heard swearing and panicking as they flee. After the footage is cut, one of the film crew members appears to be running inside a structure and can be heard speaking with a woman.
On Tuesday, the government confirmed that three people have died in the catastrophe. However, the extent of the eruption’s impact is still unknown.
Pictured: A plume rises over Tonga after the underwater volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted in this satellite image taken by Himawari-8, a Japanese weather satellite operated by Japan Meteorological Agency on January 15, 2022
A video showing the massive plume of steam and ash rising from the sea at Hunga Tonga Ha’apai, Tonga on January 14, 2022 shows the eruption.
The dead include a 65-year-old woman on Mango Island, a 49-year-old man on Nomuka Island, and 50-year-old Briton Angela Glover who was found dead on Tongatapu Island on Monday.
According to the government, Mango Island was destroyed by tsunami. There are only two buildings remaining on Fonoifua Island. Namuka Island is also suffering from ‘extensive destruction’.
Rescue operations including evacuations of Mango, Fonoifua and Atata islands are underway, with ‘a number of’ injuries also reported – though government officials could not say how many.
Since Saturday’s disaster, communications from Tonga (a remote group of Pacific islands home to 105,000 people) have been sporadic.
It not only caused a tsunami, it also covered nearby islands in ash. The earthquake also cut off an underground internet cable linking the country with the outside.
Although initial reports were positive, the situation has become more dire. Tongatapu’s aid workers say that the deaths are likely to be minimal, however fears continue to grow for the hundreds of residents of smaller islands.
On Monday, reconnaissance planes of New Zealand and Australian air force flew over some islands to give a look at the living conditions of survivors. They saw moon-like landscapes, flattened buildings, and people sleeping under tarpaulins.
Damage to the main airport and port of the island is causing delays in aid efforts. The strict zero-Covid country policy may also be limiting the flow of humanitarian aid. Workers could be quarantined to avoid a ‘tsunami’.
Tonga only recorded one Covid case last October in New Zealand from a traveller. He tested positive for Covid in isolation.
Australia’s ministers warned New Zealand and Australia that the virus protocol will be used to rescue rescuers.
As the scale of the destruction caused by the islands slows down, Australian and New Zealand air force aircrafts circled Tonga. The picture above shows one of the smaller islands that appears grey, because it has been covered in ash.
A military reconnaissance aircraft captured this image of a Tongan village that was inundated by ash. The beach is also showing signs of damage from tsunami waves which hit the shores following the massive volcanic eruption.
Tonga’s first update regarding rescue efforts after the tsunami and eruption has been released. It reveals which islands were worst affected and where evacuations are taking place.
Satellite images reveal how Kanokupolu, a village on the hard-hit western side of Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu, has been almost wiped out as ash turns the landscape grey
Satellite images of Tonga before and during the eruption clearly show the extent to which a village is damaged on one island.
Satellite images of Niutoua, a village on Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu, show how it has been completely destroyed with all buildings washed away during a tsunami triggered by the eruption
Satellite images reveal how the village of Kanokupolu, on the main island of Tongatapu, was completely washed away in a tsunami which struck after a volcanic eruption late Saturday
Satellite images reveal damage caused by the eruption and tsunami at Tonga’s main port in the capital Nuku’alofa, which is now blanketed in ash with many buildings damaged or destroyed
The prime minister’s office stated that tsunamis up to 50ft struck Ha’apia and Tongatapu’s west coast.
56 homes were damaged or destroyed on the west coast of the main Island. Residents fled to evacuation centers.
Mango lies approximately 43 miles from Hunga Tonga volcano. It erupted 1,430 miles distant in New Zealand and sent tsunami waves through the Pacific Ocean.
A rescue mission began Sunday on Atata Island, with a population estimated at 100.
It stated that ‘Challenges remain to sea and air transport due to damage sustained through the wharves ash that has covered the runways’. Satellite phones were able to make limited communication, however other areas are still not accessible.
It said that the Tongan navy was deployed to Ha’apai with medical teams, water, food, and tents. More aid will be sent to Tuesday because of the severe damage to Mango (which has approximately 50 people) and Fonoifua, Namuka, islands.
Tonga’s Nomuka island is visible before and after an eruption that caused extensive damage to villages. The ash covered the island, making it dark grey.
You can see the Hunga-Tonga volcano’s peak before and after its eruption which destroyed much of the cone
Australia’s Minister for Pacific Zed Seselja claimed that Tongan officials wanted to help evacuate residents from Ha’apai, a low-lying island group.
According to the United Nations, a distress signal had been reported in Ha’apai (where Mango is situated). According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, (OCHA), the Tongan Navy reported that waves were enveloping the region at 5-10m (15-30 feet) height.
Tu’ihalangingie confirmed that the NZDF photos were also posted on a Facebook page. They showed tarpaulins used to shelter Mango Island.
The islands are covered in a thick layer of ash, according to the New Zealand High Commission. It also stated that it is working hard to establish communication with smaller islands as a priority.
Although the main airport of the archipelago, Fua’amotu International Airport was spared by Saturday’s tsunami and eruption, heavy ashfall has prevented full operation, which is hampering international relief efforts.
U.N. humanitarian officials said Tongan officials said clearing runways would take many days, as they were being cleared manually. They said this by Wednesday.
OCHA said that Tongatapu’s western coast had seen’significant damage’ and had evacuated residents. OCHA also stated in an update that OCHA had warned radio stations against price gouging as a result of concerns over supply shortages.
Tomorrow, the Tongan government will request assistance from Australia and New Zealand. Each antipodean nation has a C-130 aircraft military jet on standby with supplies.
The airport will be the main constraint at this time. Seselja indicated that there was still considerable ash.
Tonga, a Kingdom of 176 Islands, has a Population of 104.494 People.
Since the destruction of its primary undersea communication cable, the archipelago was largely isolated from the outside world.