The extent of the damage caused by the eruption of Tonga volcano and the tsunami is still unknown

Aerial photos taken by New Zealand Defense Force reconnaissance flights show devastation over some of Tonga’s outer islands, but officials warn that until communications are restored To all parts of the kingdom, the damage caused by Saturday’s undersea volcano will not be entirely clear. eruption and subsequent tsunami.

Tonga is made up of more than 170 islands, with a population of about 104,000. When the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted early Saturday morning, it sent ash and water vapor into the air. Because there was still ash, all airports, even those not damaged by the tsunami, were closed. This is hampering aid efforts, as planes carrying supplies from New Zealand and Australia are unable to land. Officials hope that Tonga’s main airport, Fua’amotu International Airport, will be able to open on Wednesday.

The eruption severed Tonga’s undersea communications cables, and officials said the necessary repairs could not be made until the volcanic activity stopped. Alarm signals have been detected on Mango Island, home to about 50 people, and it is believed the island was hit by waves up to 30 meters high. “It’s very alarming to see a wave that could pass through Atata [Island] end to end,” said Curtis Tu’ihalangingie, deputy chief of Tonga’s mission to Australia, told Reuters.

Officials are warning that the death toll, now two, is likely to rise. “People panicked, people ran and got injured,” Tu’ihalangingie said. “There will probably be more deaths and we just pray that’s not the case.” One of the dead was Angela Glover, a British national, an employee at an animal rescue facility; She died while trying to save the dogs from the tsunami.