The volcanoes of Hong Aha Apai Island in Tonga, a South Pacific island nation, erupted violently on the 14th and 15th for two consecutive days and caused a tsunami.
On the afternoon of the 17th, the Consular Protection Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs connected with the Chinese Embassy in Tonga. Zhang Xuanfan, second secretary of the Consul of the Chinese Embassy in Tonga, introduced the latest situation in the local area.
No deaths of Chinese nationals on the main island of Tonga International communications were interrupted
Zhang Xuanfan, second secretary of the consul of the Chinese Embassy in Tonga, said that there are currently about 1,000 overseas Chinese in Tonga, and there are six Chinese-funded enterprises.
As of now, no Chinese citizens have died on the main island of Tongatapu Island, and a few Chinese citizens have been slightly injured, and at present, international communications on the main island, including the Internet, have been interrupted, and only local calls can be maintained. However, due to volcanic ash, local call quality may be affected.
Overseas Chinese engaged in commercial supermarket business in coastal areas suffered heavy losses
At present, due to poor communication on the outer islands, the specific information of the outer islands is being verified. The consul of the embassy recalled that at 6 o'clock local time on the 15th, when the Hanga volcano erupted in the waters near Tonga, it triggered a strong shock wave, and the local people heard a loud sound like an explosion.
A large amount of volcanic ash then fell and triggered a tsunami about two meters high, causing serious damage to houses and infrastructure in coastal areas. As soon as the disaster occurred, the embassy launched an emergency plan, contacted the local overseas Chinese on the main island of Tonga, and told them to avoid danger as soon as possible.
According to the consul of the embassy, according to the situation of the two angels visiting everywhere, the overseas Chinese engaged in commercial supermarket business in the coastal areas have suffered heavy losses, basically the houses and goods have been destroyed, and the farms of overseas Chinese engaged in agricultural cultivation are all covered with volcanic ash, and in the next one to two months, there will be no fresh vegetable supply in Tonga.
The consul of the embassy said that he believes that with the support of the motherland, the concern of relatives, and the unity of everyone, we will certainly be able to overcome the difficulties together.
Source: CCTV News Client