On 15 January, a volcanic eruption in the waters off the South Pacific island nation of Tonga triggered a tsunami that had a devastating impact on Tonga.
Professor Shane Cronin, a volcanologist at the University of Auckland, said it was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in Tonga in nearly 30 years.
There have been no reports of Chinese national casualties.
Made up of 172 islands of varying sizes, Tonga is the oldest kingdom in the Pacific.
It is located on the west side of the International Date Line and is the first country in the world to start a new day.
The island has many rare heat-driven plants, atolls and lagoons of various shapes, and was once a popular destination for travelers.
On the evening of the eruption, there was a power outage in Nuku'alofa, all domestic flights were cancelled, and people fled to higher ground.
Today, much of Tonga is covered in volcanic ash, vital submarine cables are interrupted, and power and communication networks are severely disrupted, leaving most people unable to connect to the outside world.
Residents desperately need fresh drinking water and food, and the Speaker of the Tonga Parliament called on other countries to lend a helping hand.
The threat of tsunamis, torrential rains, floods and strong winds after the eruption made Tonga even worse.
The main streets of the capital, Nuku'alofa, were flooded and many buildings were flooded because of the backwater.
According to the statistical analysis of historical volcanic activity events, the eruption of this offshore volcano has not stopped, and may last for weeks or months.
Located beneath the sea off Hong Aha Apay Island, the eruption was equivalent to the 1,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs, bringing nearly 20 kilometers of ash and steam to form a huge mushroom cloud.
Countries along the Pacific coast, such as Chile, Japan, Fiji, Samoa and New Zealand, also monitored significant tsunami waves.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that a tsunami caused by a volcano is equivalent to a magnitude 5.8 earthquake.
Rescuers from New Zealand and Australia are currently heading to the area for aerial surveys to map out the extent of disaster losses at a faster pace.
Aid groups warn that volcanic ash clouds are strongly damaging to health and advise Tonga residents to wear masks and drink only bottled water.
The shock waves of this eruption have spread to nearly half of the world, and the climate impact of the eruption needs further study.
Tonga Olympic flag bearer Pitta Tauffatofa, who lives in Australia, said on social media yesterday that she had not heard from her father and family so far.
Electricity is being restored in some areas of the island, and mobile phone communications are gradually resuming.
Countless people living outside Tonga are praying for her. I hope the world is safe in 2022.