The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, indicated this Monday that they have been able to establish communication by satellite telephone with Tonga, in the South Pacific, after the eruption on Saturday of an underwater volcano that caused a tsunami.
“We have communication via satellite phone, so we are receiving critical information that is helping with planning”, indicated in a press conference the president, whose country has sent reconnaissance planes together with Australia.
LOOK: Volcanic eruption causes tsunami in Tonga and triggers alerts in Pacific countries | VIDEOS
Ardern He added that they have not yet received information on injuries from the eruption and the tsunami, although it is still early to have a clear idea of the impact because not all communications have been restored after the eruption, which cut off access to telephone and internet lines.
The ash clouds created by the eruption of the volcano Southern Hemisphere can make reconnaissance difficult, while the New Zealand Navy prepares to send aid, mainly drinking water.
The Australian Red Cross indicated on Twitter that it is working with the Tongan Red Cross to support evacuation efforts, the provision of aid and drinking water to those affected.
The authorities of Tonga, where the electricity service has already been restored but remains incommunicado in several parts of the territory, have also sent Navy ships to the most remote areas of this archipelago of 169 islands to assess the damage left by the eruption of the volcano and tsunami.
“In the coming hours and days we will have a clearer picture of the situation in Tonga, as well as the rest of the Blue Pacific territory,” Pacific Forum President Henry Puna said in a statement on Monday.
The thunderous eruption of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai, an underwater volcano with a long history of activity and located between two islets – which are sometimes joined by the ash accumulated between them – could be heard hundreds of kilometers away.
Other neighboring Pacific nations such as Fiji, Vanuatu and Samoa also recorded the onslaught of waves up to two meters high and, after canceling the alert, they still maintain an emergency warning over coastal areas.
Unlike tsunamis triggered by earthquakes, where tectonic plates unload their force and a second tsunami is unlikely, the volcano could again register a violent eruption that would create another major tidal wave.
The explosion and ensuing tsunami produced strong waves and flooding as far away as Peru, where two women were killed by strong waves. EFE
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