Tonga eruption: Communications could be down for ‘4 weeks’

An underwater cable that provides the Pacific island nation of Tonga with most of its telecommunication links with the rest of the world will need at least a month to be repaired following the recent volcanic eruption, the New Zealand government said on Wednesday.

The Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai underwater volcano erupted on Saturday dispersing a thick layer of ash across large parts of the island nation and causing a destructive tsunami that was felt as far away as Peru, Chile and the United States.

The cable is broken in two places and will require extensive repairs.

“US cable company SubCom advises it will take at least four weeks for Tonga’s cable connection to be repaired,” the New Zealand government said.

Multiple complications

International mobile phone network operator Digicel said it had set up an interim connection via satellite, but this would be “limited and patchy, covering about 10% of usual capacity.”

However, the lack of digital and telecom communications is not the only problem facing Tonga.

An aircraft laden with water, generators and hygiene kits is ready to fly from New Zealand, but cannot take off until the runway at the main island’s international airport is cleared of a thick layer of volcanic ash. Australia also has aircraft ready to fly.

The eruption and resulting tsunami impacted areas across the Pacific

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that a blanket of ash 5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches) thick had accumulated on the runway.

This can prove dangerous to modern aircraft as the ash can gather inside the engines. “The ash has proven more difficult to clear than was expected,” said Jonathan Veitch, Fiji-based UN coordinator on the crisis.

It is expected that the runway will be cleared later on Wednesday.

Aid missions on their way

New Zealand also dispatched two military ships on Tuesday that are expected to arrive on Friday.

The HMNZS Aotearoa is carrying bulk water supplies as well as a desalination plant capable of processing 70,000 liters of water a day. Survey and diving teams are also on their way onboard the HMNZS Wellington.

• Tonga devastated by volcanic eruption, tsunami — in pictures

  ‘Unprecedented disaster’

  Tonga officials confirmed that at least three people died after a massive undersea volcanic eruption and tsunami hit the Pacific nation — what the government called an “unprecedented disaster.” With the country’s only internet cable cut, it remains difficult to understand the extent of the damage through patchy satellite phone connections, surveillance flights and satellite images.

• Tonga devastated by volcanic eruption, tsunami — in pictures

  Smothered in grey dust

  Volcanic ash has blanketed Tonga, as seen in this before-and-after image. World Health Organization official Sean Casey said that “the whole country is covered in ash,” adding that water contamination is currently the biggest threat to the population. The UN health agency said around 100 houses had been damaged, with 50 destroyed on Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu.

• Tonga devastated by volcanic eruption, tsunami — in pictures

  The volcanic eruption

  The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai underwater volcano had erupted on Saturday, sending ash some 30 kilometers (19 miles) into the air. It deposited ash, gas and acid rain across a large area of the Pacific. A tsunami followed the volcano, raising waves in Tonga up to 15 meters (50 feet), its government said.

• Tonga devastated by volcanic eruption, tsunami — in pictures

  Sending help

  As communication from Tonga remained severed, New Zealand sent surveillance flights to survey the damage. Several international organizations, including the UN and Red Cross, are trying to send aid, but Tonga’s airport remains closed. Australia and New Zealand said they would send ships with aid — which could take days due to the massive distance.

• Tonga devastated by volcanic eruption, tsunami — in pictures

  Impacts across Pacific: Oil spill in Peru

  Large waves from the volcanic eruption are believed to have caused an oil spill in an area rich in marine biodiversity in Peru. Peruvian authorities said that a ship was loading oil into a refinery on the Pacific coast on Sunday when strong waves moved the boat and caused the spill. So far, it is the only known oil spill to have have occurred in the Pacific basin after Saturday’s eruption.

• Tonga devastated by volcanic eruption, tsunami — in pictures

  Impacts across Pacific: Tsunami waves reach Japan

  Tsunami waves caused by the eruption spread across the Pacific Ocean and hit Japan’s coastline. Rafts of farmed oysters in Japan’s eastern Mie Prefecture were carried out to sea by the waves.

• Tonga devastated by volcanic eruption, tsunami — in pictures

  Impacts across Pacific: Boats damaged in New Zealand

  The impact was felt in New Zealand as well. Waves that swept into marinas severely damaged boats, while others in New Zealand said they could hear the eruption.

• Tonga devastated by volcanic eruption, tsunami — in pictures

  Previous eruption in 2015

  An eruption in 2015, pictured above, caused the formation of a volcanic cone between the islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha’apai. The eruption released dense, particle-rich jets.

  Author: Saim Dušan Inayatullah, Farah Bahgat

Another ship from Australia is also planning to set sail soon.

Coronavirus is yet another complication for the island, as Tonga is one of the few countries that has not recorded any COVID outbreaks, prompting fears about the importation of infections from outside aid.

‘Unprecedented disaster’

Tonga confirmed on Tuesday that three people were killed in the tsunami with multiple other people suffering injuries.

A village on one of the many islands was almost completely wiped out, the government said, with only a few buildings left standing.

Many other villages across the archipelago had also suffered severe damage. Tongan rescue teams were sent to the worst-hit areas.

In its first public declaration since the eruption, the government called it “an unprecedented disaster.”

ab/rs (AFP, dpa)

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/tonga-eruption-communications-could-be-down-for-4-weeks/a-60470632?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf