We still don’t know much about the island nation of Tonga, but at least the story of a Tongan man who was swept away by the tsunami and swam from one island to another for 24 hours has made it to the rest of the world via Facebook. Barely a week after the volcanic eruption cut most communication channels to Tonga.
Lisala Folau, a retired carpenter, told Tongan radio station Broadcom FM he swam and floated from his home island of Atata across two other uninhabited islands to finally reach the main island of Tongatapu, a distance of around 13 kilometers. Due to a disability, Folau cannot walk properly, his family came to his aid, “when a wave went through our living room, we fled to another part of the house” and then further up a tree. When they climbed down again, the big wave came first.
He and his niece were pulled out to sea, “we called each other. It was dark and we couldn’t see each other. Soon I couldn’t hear my niece calling, but I heard my son.” After the contact was lost, Folau clung to a tree trunk. What became of the son is not yet known, nor is the fate of the niece. But Folau’s story was written down by the editor of the Tongan station and posted on Facebook.
Volcanic ash covers a car in Tonga.
(Photo: Guo Lei via www.imago-images.de/imago images/Xinhua)
The eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai ejected a gigantic ash cloud far into the stratosphere. This makes it difficult to assess the extent of the destruction. The tsunamis that followed the eruption not only swept away homes, but also cut phone and internet connections to the remote South Pacific archipelago.
Helpers cleared the runway of a thick layer of ash by hand
The government has been reluctant to allow major aid shipments to the islands for fear of spreading the pandemic. So far, Tonga has only had one Covid 19 case. A first reconnaissance aircraft of the New Zealand Air Force was able to land on the main island of Tongatapu on Wednesday after aid workers had manually cleared the runway of the international airport of a thick layer of ash. An aerial photo taken during the flight shows extensive damage to a coastal community.
A first reconnaissance aircraft of the New Zealand Air Force was able to land on the main island of Tongatapu on Wednesday.
(PHOTO: NEW ZEALAND HIGH COMMISSION, NUK/via REUTERS)
Soneel Ram, who coordinates the International Red Cross operation and is based in Suva, the capital of Fiji, explains on the phone, “We need to get clean drinking water there quickly because all sources have been contaminated by ash fallout. Our emergency response team in Tonga has been able to meet the initial needs, which are delivering emergency shelters, kitchen sets, blankets and other supplies to people who have lost everything. But we are pressed for time.”
A statement by Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, released by his office on Tuesday evening, confirmed the deaths of three people, a Tonga woman and a man, and a British woman who went missing after the tsunami. The destruction of all houses on Mango Island, where 50 people live, was also reported. Only two houses remained standing on the neighboring island of Fonoifua. Sovaleni described the eruption of the underwater volcano, which is just 65 kilometers north of the main island, as an “unprecedented catastrophe”.
The photo shows the extent of the destruction in Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga.
(Photo: Guo Lei via www.imago-images.de/imago images/Xinhua)
The islands and places are covered with a thick layer of volcanic ash, there are many saltwater pools. The local Red Cross has sent helpers to the islands of Mango, Fonoifua and Namuka. But no helpers from outside have been requested, “but we are not allowed to move without a request,” says Soneel Ram.
Now that help is on the way by sea and air, it has to be quick
The fact that the helpers are not welcomed with open arms has to do with the entry restrictions imposed by the Tonga government. The population is not protected against the virus, “there is great concern that the aid deliveries will also bring in Covid-19 and make the disaster even worse,” says Ram.
Now that help is on the way by sea and air, it has to happen quickly, “we have relief supplies in stock for around 1,200 families, then we have to replenish them. Unfortunately, there is no danger of another volcanic eruption or hurricanes either quite foreseeable”. On the Fiji island, the government has now started a big booster campaign so that people can get a third vaccination and go to Tonga to help without infecting the local people.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday afternoon he had not yet managed to speak directly to his counterpart Siaosi Sovaleni. The breakdown of telecommunications and the ash clouds have created a “very difficult environment” in which to operate.
the HMAS Adelaide of the Australian Navy left Sydney for Tonga on Wednesday. New Zealand has also sent two naval vessels with relief supplies on board. Defense Minister Peeni Henare said they are expected to arrive in four days but could reach the archipelago as early as Friday if the weather holds. The Red Cross of Tonga is to lead the relief efforts on site – provided that the ships can then be unloaded.