Tonga’s huge volcanic eruption, which produced tsunami waves, engulfed the Pacific islands in ash, knocked out power, and shut off communications.
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), up to 80,000 individuals could be affected.
The tsunami, according to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, caused “serious damage” by sweeping boats ashore and damaging seaside shops.
So yet, no deaths have been reported.
However, information is limited, and New Zealand and Australia have dispatched surveillance planes to assess the extent of the damage.\
Katie Greenwood of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Fiji stated that immediate assistance was required.
“We estimate that up to 80,000 people in Tonga will be impacted by the eruption or the tsunami wave and inundation that will occur as a result of the eruption,” she said.
Ms Ardern warned on Sunday that the dust was compromising water supplies, making fresh water a critical necessity.
The ash had caused authorities to advise residents to drink bottled water and wear face masks to protect their lungs, according to humanitarian organizations.
Videos showed traffic congestion as residents evacuated low lying areas by car as the sky darkened with ash.
Tonga’s internet and phone lines went down hours later, rendering the island’s 105,000 citizens virtually unavailable.
The volcano has been erupting for several days before to the major eruption.
Sulphur and ammonia smells were detected in some regions, according to the Tonga Meteorological Agency.
“Folks were taken aback, so we’re concerned about those outer islands, and we’re eager to hear from people.”
On Saturday, the underwater volcano erupted, blasting a plume of ash into the sky and causing Tonga to issue warnings of 1.2m (4ft) waves.
The eruption was so strong that it could be heard 2,383 kilometers (1,481 miles) away in Nnw Zealand.
After being covered in a coating of volcanic ash, locals say Tonga appears “like a moonscape.”
Power was slowly being restored to some parts of the island, according to Ms Ardern, and mobile phones were starting to operate again.
The condition in certain coastal areas, on the other hand, remained unknown.
Many Tongans in Australia and New Zealand have grown frightened for their safety due to their inability to communicate with their friends and family.
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Fatima claimed she had not heard from her colleague, who owns a beachside restaurant in Nuku’alofa, Tonga’s capital.
“It’s all extremely upsetting,” she told the BBC. “We’re praying for the best.”
“This will be devastating for them because they have been in lockdown for a long time with no tourists and now this.”
Some outlying islands appear to have been totally inundated by ocean, according to satellite photographs.
Experts claim the Hunga-Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano’s eruption is one of the region’s most violent in decades.
It prompted tsunami warnings in a number of nations, including Japan and the United States, where coastal areas of California and Alaska were flooded.
The situation in Tonga was described as “shocking” by UK Foreign Office Minister Zac Goldsmith, who added that Britain was “ready to help and support our Commonwealth ally and partner in any way we can.”
