The eruption of the underwater volcano Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha??apai near the Pacific island kingdom of Tonga over the weekend was gigantic. It could even be seen from space by satellite, the bang could be heard hundreds of kilometers away – and the tremendous tremors could even be measured on the other side of the globe.
However, the exact extent of the disaster is still unclear, as masses of ash cover the islands and communication has broken down. It is also unclear whether there were dead or injured. According to New Zealand’s High Commissioner in the archipelago, Peter Lund, Tonga’s capital Nuku??alofa lay buried under a layer of ash and looked like a “lunar landscape”.
Drop relief supplies if necessary
Reconnaissance flights by the Australian and New Zealand military should bring clarity. “The flights will help us identify where there is a need,” said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. A Hercules machine should bring relief supplies to the area and, if necessary, drop them if the airport runway is damaged. “We know that water is urgently needed,” said Ardern.
The government of the island state was concerned about the heavy ash rain because it could poison drinking water. In addition, Corona could be brought in by aid deliveries – so far Tonga was Corona-free. “We don’t want another wave, no corona tsunami,” said Tonga’s deputy ambassador to Australia.
If the volcano had unleashed its destructive power on land, the impact would have been “apocalyptic,” University of Auckland volcanologist Shane Cronin told Radio New Zealand. According to the expert, it was the world’s strongest eruption since the Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines in 1991.
fear for family members
Tongans working as seasonal workers in New Zealand are concerned for their loved ones: Timaru’s Sina Latu, whose family lives on the island of ??Eua, said: “It just hurts, you feel so helpless and afraid .” She hopes for a sign of life from her loved ones. The sister transmitted the escape from the tsunami and the ash rain via Facebook, then the line broke off. “It was scary, we saw the waves coming,” Latu said.
Source: Nachrichten
