“Stone rain” fell from the sky! Houses and goods were destroyed! Oil tanker leaks! The volcano erupted violently!Voice of the Chinese Embassy in Tonga
On January 14 and 15, Tonga’s Hong Aha Apay Island volcano erupted and triggered a tsunami. Tonga’s islands were hit by both volcanic ash and tsunami, causing heavy losses.
UN agency releases post-disaster satellite images of Tonga
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research released a set of satellite images of Tongado before and following the eruption on the 17th.
The comparison map involves Hongahaapai Island, Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa, and three islands of Walleiwa, Uyha and Nomuka.
After the eruption of the volcano, the crater and most of the island have been submerged under the sea and cannot be observed from space.
In Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, green vegetation was blanketed in thick volcanic ash, houses and buildings were damaged, roads were submerged and the airport’s runway was significantly damaged.
The roads on Walleva Island were severely damaged, there were traces of seawater intrusion in many places, and buildings and the coastline were affected to a certain extent.
On the island of Uyha, the building walls collapsed and the sea water poured. The original green plants and white roofs can only be seen in gray.
On Nomuka Island, many seaside buildings have disappeared, the coastline has changed significantly, and the roads on the island have also been affected.
Tonga: Body of British woman missing in tsunami found
On the 17th, the body of a British woman who was previously swept away by a tsunami in Tonga was found. She and her husband originally ran a pet dog rescue center in the local area. After the disaster, she and her husband rushed back to the seaside residence to prepare for rescue. The dog at home was swept away by the tsunami. Her husband was lucky enough to survive by grabbing a tree.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies prepares for relief
The volcanic eruption has caused serious damage to Tonga, and the disaster area is in urgent need of external rescue. On the 17th, the head of the Asia-Pacific region of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that although they have emergency relief supplies in Tonga, they can only cover 1,200 households, which is far from enough for large-scale disaster relief operations.
Alexander Matthews, Director of the Asia-Pacific Region of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: We are preparing to start the disaster emergency fund, providing drinking water, sanitary products, setting up sanitation facilities, shelters, etc., we are still waiting for more detailed disaster situation information to determine the size of the rescue.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies concluded that Tonga is currently facing three major crises, namely water pollution, tsunami damage to houses and communication interruption, and future rescue operations will also focus on these three points.
“Stone rain” falls, Tongans face disaster
Before the submarine cable was damaged, some Tongan residents rushed to upload some videos of the incident on social media, showing the scene when the disaster struck.
New Zealand’s First News released multiple social media videos. The video shows that, initially, some Tongans captured the sound of the eruption. The sound of the eruption grew louder as the ash plummeted into the sky.
Huge waves washed up on the coast, flooding roads and pouring into homes. Residents tried to drive away from lower-lying areas. In the capital Nuku’alofa, a woman is in a church by the sea, where the water level is getting higher and higher. In a live broadcast on social media, she reluctantly said that it was difficult for her to escape. Others tried to get out of the car stuck on the beach, but were unsuccessful.
Australia’s “Ninth News” interviewed a Tongan woman working in the United States. Her husband, who was in Tonga when the volcano erupted, spoke to her before communications were cut off, describing the eruption.
Lavinia, U.S. Tongan: On January 15th, my husband sent me a text saying that the volcano erupted. He said that the sound of the volcanic eruption was very loud, and it felt like the windows were regarding to shatter. We just heard the sound of rocks falling from the sky and acid rain. He said that it started to “rain”, but it wasn’t really.” rain” instead of “stones”, which surprised me.
Consular of the Chinese Embassy in Tonga introduces the latest local situation
In response to the current disaster situation in Tonga, on the followingnoon of the 17th, the Consular Protection Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs connected the Chinese Embassy in Tonga.
Zhang Xuanfoil, Second Secretary of Consular of the Chinese Embassy in Tonga: There are regarding 1,000 overseas Chinese in Tonga, and there are also six Chinese-funded enterprises. So far, no Chinese citizens have died on the main island of Tongatapu, and some Chinese citizens have suffered minor injuries. At present, the international communication on the main island is cut off, and only local calls can be maintained on the Internet. However, due to the impact of volcanic ash, the quality of local calls may be affected.
According to Zhang Xuanfoil, due to poor communication on the outer islands, the specific information on the outer islands is being verified. Zhang Xuanfoil recalled that at 6:00 on the 15th local time, when the volcano erupted in the sea near Tonga, it triggered a strong shock wave. The local area heard a loud explosion like an explosion, and the human eardrum might feel the powerful stimulation caused by the loud noise. Afterwards, a large amount of volcanic ash fell, the sky quickly turned black, and a tsunami regarding two meters high was triggered.
As soon as the disaster occurred, the embassy launched an emergency plan, contacted the local overseas Chinese on the main island of Tonga, and informed them to avoid danger as soon as possible.
Zhang Xuanfoil, Second Secretary of Consular of the Chinese Embassy in Tonga: Overseas Chinese who are engaged in supermarket business in coastal areas suffered heavy losses. Basically, their houses and goods were completely destroyed. The farms of overseas Chinese engaged in agricultural cultivation were all covered by volcanic ash. , Tonga has no fresh vegetables to supply.
But I believe that there are always more solutions than difficulties. The overseas Chinese in Tonga have given full play to the Chinese tradition of being diligent, brave, daring and good at work. I believe that with the support of the motherland, the care of relatives, and everyone united as one, we will surely be able to overcome the difficulties together. .
Tonga Deputy Prime Minister declares state of emergency
According to the news released by the New Zealand High Commission in Tonga on the 18th, Tonga Deputy Prime Minister Boasi Tai has declared a state of emergency, and Tonga communication is still in a state of interruption.
According to the Office of the New Zealand High Commission in Tonga, the western area of Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga, was severely damaged.
As the runway of Nuku’alofa International Airport was covered with volcanic ash, New Zealand’s transport plane to Tonga might not land. New Zealand has sent two warships to deliver emergency relief supplies, including drinking water, to Tonga. As of press time, Tonga has reported a total of three deaths, but this has not been confirmed.
Huge waves hit Peru port, oil tanker leaks
Affected by the eruption of the Tonga volcano, on the 16th, the waters near the port of Callao, Peru, were hit by huge waves. A ship leaked during the unloading of crude oil at the terminal of the refinery, and the beach was polluted. On the 17th, Peru’s National Emergency Operations Center stated that the oil pollution cleanup work was still in progress.
