Wellington, Jan. 18 (BNA): The United Nations detected a distress signal from Tonga, where the outcome of a huge volcanic eruption remained unclear on Tuesday.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said there has been no contact from the Hapai island group following the eruption of the Hinga, Tonga, Hunga and Hapai volcanoes on Saturday.
OCHA said there were particular concerns about two low-lying islands, Mango and Funui. An active distress beacon from Mango has been detected.
And the German news agency (dpa) quoted the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as saying: “communication remains the biggest challenge, as international phone lines and the Internet are still down.”
“Satellite phones are the only reliable tool for calling abroad, but they also don’t always work reliably.”
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that satellite imagery shows extensive damage in the western shores of Tongatapu, with many resorts and homes destroyed or severely damaged.
“Due to the current communication challenges, the situation and emerging humanitarian needs cannot yet be fully determined. The Government of Tonga is working on a needs assessment.”
The eruption caused atmospheric shock waves and tsunamis that traveled as far as Alaska, Japan and South America.
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