What happened to Chinese in Tonga?
On January 15, the volcano erupted violently on The island of Hon Aha Apay, putting the South Pacific island nation of Tonga in the spotlight.
After the eruption, Tonga was covered in volcanic ash, which local residents said "looks like the lunar surface". At the same time, the tsunami caused by the volcanic eruption was extremely destructive, and the sea water poured into the city streets, and the seaside buildings were seriously damaged.
While praying for Tonga's blessings, the fate of Chinese citizens in Tonga and local overseas Chinese businessmen also closely touches our hearts.
The Chinese Embassy in Tonga reported yesterday that there had been no news of the deaths of about 1,000 Chinese expatriates in Tonga. Yesterday, people asked for help through the media and the Internet, saying that their families in Tonga were missing, and finally waited for the news of safety.
01
The Embassy in Tonga reported that it was safe
Is it safe for Chinese expatriates in Tonga? Yesterday evening, the Chinese Embassy in Tonga, in connection with the Consular Protection Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported peace to the people of the motherland.
According to Consul Zhang of the Chinese Embassy in Tonga, there are currently about 1,000 Chinese overseas Chinese in Tonga, and there are 6 Chinese-funded enterprises. So far, no Chinese citizens have died on the main island of Tonga, and a few Chinese citizens have been slightly injured. Due to the communications disruption on the outer islands, the situation could not be kept up in time, and the embassy was actively contacting and verifying.
According to Consul Zhang's recollection, when the volcano erupted on the evening of January 15, local time, a strong shock wave and explosion struck, which seriously stimulated the eardrums of many local people.
"After 10 minutes, the volcanic ash began to fall, and a 2-meter-high tsunami struck, pouring seawater into the city, throwing boats and stones to the shore, causing serious losses to coastal residents."
After the disaster, the Chinese Embassy in Tonga immediately contacted various overseas Chinese businessmen and told the Chinese shops near the sea to evacuate to a safe area. Overseas Chinese in the coastal supermarket business suffered heavy losses, and their houses and goods were completely destroyed. Farms are covered in volcanic ash and there will be no supply of fresh vegetables throughout Tonga for the next one to two months.
Consul Zhang said that at present, the volcanic eruption is not dangerous to the higher terrain of Tonga, and what needs to be more vigilant is the rumors and panic that breed after the disaster, "confidence is more important than gold", under the advice of the embassy, the Chinese shops on the island have closed their doors and windows to wait for assistance.
"Tonga's international freight terminal was damaged, and if the damage was severe, the containers could not be docked, which is a severe test for Tonga, which is very dependent on sea imports."
At the time of the disaster, a total of 38 employees of China Civil Engineering Group South Pacific Co., Ltd. were stationed in Tonga, and the head of the company, Liang Qing, revealed in an interview with the media that none of the 38 people were in danger of life.
About half an hour after the eruption, Liang Qing and the person in charge of the front of Tonga got in touch and learned about the situation ahead through video, "At five or six o'clock in the afternoon, the whole sky was dark, the front windshield of the car was constantly falling volcanic ash, and small stones fell like hailstones." ”
According to him, the company plans to arrange a charter flight from Vanuatu to Tonga today (18th) to deliver emergency supplies, but because the volcanic ash aircraft can not be normally delayed, it is waiting for further notice from the airline.
"In accordance with the company's epidemic prevention requirements, we have stockpiled epidemic prevention materials for three to six months, including food, water and medicine for emergency use." Liang Qing said the supplies could support the 38 people's current lives in Tonga.
02
Ms. Lee's husband found it
The couple of agricultural professors are also safe
After the eruption of the Tonga volcano, a message from a family member calling for help left many people scratching their heads. Ms. Li, who is in Guangzhou, asked the media for help, and her husband, Zhu Jianxiong, worked alone in Tonga and was once missing. Yesterday evening, the good news of Zhu Jianxiong's safety finally came.
Zhu Jianxiong
The last WeChat conversation between the two stayed at 13:00 Beijing time on January 15, and her husband transferred 3355 yuan to her and sent a voice: "The volcano erupts, the tsunami is coming, I am going to the airport now." ”
Ms. Li said that usually her husband would send living expenses to himself and his son through bank remittances, and rarely used WeChat to transfer money, "This may be all the money in his WeChat, which was transferred to me." ”
After the couple got married, they went to Tonga to do business together, selling Chinese goods locally. After the birth of her son, Ms. Li returned to China to take care of the children with autism, and Zhu Jianxiong continued to stay in Tonga to do business, returning to China twice a year.
Most recently, Zhu Jianxiong originally planned to return to China at the end of 2019, but because of the delay in the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, he has not returned home for more than two years. Because of the epidemic, he could not buy goods from China, and the business was unsustainable, so he could only make a living by repairing computers in Tonga.
On the afternoon of January 1, Zhu Jianxiong also sent her several videos, saying that the volcano erupted a few days ago, and it rained heavily in the local area that day, and he stored rainwater to drink. Ms. Li replied to her husband: Beware of earthquakes and tsunamis.
After the two disappeared, Ms. Li kept calling her husband's phone. On the morning of the 16th, it was finally connected, but the person who answered the phone was a foreigner, "saying that it is not my husband, and it will not be able to get through if I hang up." In the evening, it was opened again, and it was still the foreigner who picked it up. ”
The cost of the domestic call to Tonga is very expensive, and the two calls add up to less than 3 minutes, and Ms. Li's mobile phone is in arrears and shut down.
By the evening of the 17th, the good news finally came. She received a satellite phone call from the staff of the Chinese Embassy in Tonga, "The other party asked me if I was Zhu Jianxiong's wife, and said my full name, telling me that I had contacted my husband." ”
Zhu Jianxiong was safe and sound, and Ms. Li, who had not closed her eyes for two days and two nights, was finally relieved. She also heard embassy staff say on the phone: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs knows that you care deeply about your husband, and we have not yet contacted our families." ”
At the same time, there are also Chinese citizens who are in a state of disconnection that touch our hearts. Last night, Zhao, who was studying for a doctorate at Renmin University, asked the media for help, saying that his parents were involved in agricultural assistance in Tonga, and both parents disappeared after the volcanic eruption triggered the tsunami. According to the latest news this morning, the two confirmed safety.
According to Zhao, his parents, Zhao Peibao and Ren Aizhi, professors and associate professors at the College of Agriculture of Liaocheng University, went to Tonga College in January 2020 to participate in agricultural support, and were originally scheduled to return to China in December 2021, but stayed in Tonga due to the epidemic.
Zhao Peibao and Ren Aizhi and his wife
"On the 15th, I also contacted them on WeChat at 11 a.m. They usually have classes in the morning, and at 4:23 p.m. I can't contact my mother by weChat phone. Zhao told reporters: "Now there is only myself at home, I am very scared and anxious, I only hope that now they can be safe." ”
A total of 3 teachers from Liaocheng University participated in the Tonga Agricultural Support. This morning, a teacher from the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee of Liaocheng University confirmed the good news to the media, and Zhao Peibao, Ren Aizhi and his wife, and another teacher, Zhang Jianfeng, all confirmed that they were safe.
"At present, the International Internet in Tonga is in a state of disconnection, and the intranet has partially recovered. These three teachers are very good, they are okay, we are relieved. ”
03
A piece of sores before
Beautiful South Pacific island nation
Tonga and China fly more than 10,000 kilometers in a straight line, and it is not a tourist destination that we are familiar with, but those who have actually been there have a good impression of this island nation in the South Pacific.
Musician Little Tiger, who visited Tonga on a cruise in 2016, told the Bund Jun that he felt very sorry after the disaster, and that Tonga's beautiful natural landscapes and cultural features left him with deep memories.
Musician Little Tiger in Tonga
"These small islands in the South Pacific, it is not easy to go by plane, from China to Australia or New Zealand to transfer, fly for more than twenty hours, by boat will be relatively convenient." The surrounding island countries affected by this eruption are all places I have been to that time, which is very uncomfortable. ”
On that trip, the little tiger went to Saipan, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tahiti, and in his opinion, the most beautiful island was Tonga, and the natural landscape was no worse than Tahiti. Because Tonga is a volcanic island, it has a mountainous landscape and a seaside scenery. The sea water is unpolluted and very clear.
Pictured: Little tiger
He was disembarked at the port of Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga, "there are some small tourist receptions in the port, give him a few tens of dollars, and you will be given a car with a driver guide, and take three or four of us around the island." The guide was a lady who spoke very good English and led us to see the local customs and ruins etc. ”
The pyramids of Tonga are worth seeing, although called pyramids, but more like a large trapezoidal platform with a flat roof, which exists on this small island as an ancient tomb.
The little tiger said that the Tongans are quite tall, "They are a bit fat for beauty." Polynesians and we East Asians are close, so there is a bit of a familiar feel in appearance. The driver who drove for us was a tall man of about 1.9 meters, and he said that he used to play rugby, and then he drove for a living when he was injured. ”
In local markets, the most common food is large white potatoes that are more than a meter long. "That's actually their main food, and the Tongans are eaten in this high-carbon water." They told me that in the past, Polynesians migrated between the islands of the South Island, and it was the main food that would be taken with them on boats to eat and planted on new islands. ”
In the impression of the little tiger, Tonga is relatively developed compared to other South Pacific island countries such as the Solomon Islands in terms of urban construction and materials, and it is a good choice for travel in a boat to watch whales in specific seasons.
"But this tsunami has had a big impact on the island's towns and the ecology around the ocean, which is a real pity."
Today, the main streets of Tonga's capital are flooded with seawater, and buildings are massively damaged, and at one point there was a power outage. It is estimated that it will take one to two weeks for Tonga to return to normal communication with the outside world.
At the same time, volcanic ash has begun to pollute the local water supply, ensuring clean water sources has become a top priority. Tonga Parliament Speaker Fakafanua said yesterday that Tonga was assessing the damage caused by the eruption and was in dire need of drinking water and food, calling on other countries to provide immediate assistance.
Good luck to this beautiful South Pacific island nation!
Text, Editor/Cardi C
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