Since the powerful volcanic eruption on Tonga, the island state has been almost completely cut off from the outside world. The real situation on the island has therefore been very unclear.
On Tuesday, the first sign of life came from the authorities on the island, who called the eruption one unparalleled disaster.
– CHAOS: Wreckage is located along the beach in Nuku’alofa in Tonga. Photo taken January 20, 2020. Photo: Marian Kupu Broadcom Broadcasting / AP
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The eruption triggered a tsunami wave of up to 15 meters, authorities said on Tuesday.
The island state of Tonga consists of 169 islands in the South Pacific, spread over 800 kilometers in a line from north to south. People live on only 36 of these islands.
57-year-old Lisala Folau is one of them. Along with about 60 others, he lived on the island of Atata. When the waves hit the small island, Folau and his niece were swept out to sea. Folau tells the Tongan media agency Broadcom Kringkasting, the news agency writes Reuters.
– DISASTER FRAME: Tonga’s contact with the outside world is very limited. This picture of the damage is taken from Broadcom Broadcasting, which is the local news agency in Tonga. Photo: Marian Kupu / Broadcom Broadcasting FM87.5
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“I just floated, I was knocked around by the big waves that just kept coming,” he told the radio station.
He claims to have been floating in the water and that he slowly but surely managed to swim 7.5 kilometers to safety on the main island of Tongatapu. He says he floated from an island via two uninhabited islands before landing.
The story of Folau circulates on social media, but the news agency Reuters has not succeeded in contacting the man to confirm the events.
When the tsunami hit, he and his niece must have climbed a tree, while his brother ran to get help. But, as they were about to climb down again, a bigger wave hit.
– We floated out to sea, and just shouted at each other. It was dark and we could not see each other. But, I heard that my son was trying to call me, Folau told the radio station, according to The Guardian.
Then Folau decided that he would not answer his son, for fear that he would risk his life to save him.
Both Folau and his niece are said to have ended up floating in the sea between the various islands. Not the newspaper either The Guardian has managed to confirm the events, or come into contact with Folau’s son or niece.
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So far, three people have been confirmed dead after the outbreak.
Pictures from the disaster-stricken island show cities completely covered in ash.
– BEFORE AND AFTER: Satellite image to the left was taken on December 8 before the volcanic eruption. The second photo was taken on January 17, 2022, two days after the eruption. Photo: AFP PHOTO / European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery
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It has been demanding to send aid to Tonga as the runway has also been covered by volcanic ash. On Thursday, the first planes from New Zealand and Australia landed in Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa to assist.
– RECEIVES EMERGENCY AID: The Australian Armed Forces assists with emergency aid on Tonga. Photo: LACW Kate Czerny / Australian Defense Force / AP
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The city of Atata, located about 8 km northwest of Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa, is almost completely destroyed in the tsunami that hit the islands. Tongan naval boats continue to monitor the smaller islands and evacuate people to the main islands.
The biggest challenge now is the lack of drinking water. The drinking water sources have been polluted by volcanic dust and salt water, writes NTB.
– CLEAN-UP: Residents of Nuku’alofa have begun clean-up after the tsunami. Photo: Marian Kupu / Broadcom Broadcasting FM87.5
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