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South Pacific island nation of Tonga
The volcano erupted violently and triggered a tsunami
Shock the world!
According to CCTV news reports, the Tonga government issued a statement on the 18th local time, saying that after the hong aha Apay island volcano erupted on the 15th and caused a large-scale tsunami, all the houses on an island in Tonga were destroyed.
On the island of Mangau, about 70 kilometers from the volcano, all houses were destroyed by the eruption and tsunami, the statement said. On Atata Island, about 50 kilometers from the volcano, many buildings were also destroyed. Currently, Tonga's freshwater supply is severely affected. The Tonga government advises people to drink bottled water temporarily and avoid other water sources that may be contaminated with volcanic ash.
The statement also confirmed that three people had died in the tsunami and many others had been injured. According to reports, the three dead included 1 female British citizen from Tarbe Island, where Tonga's capital is located, and the other 2 were from Mangao Island and Nomuca Island.
This is the first statement issued by the Tongan government since the eruption of the Hon Aha Apay Island volcano. The eruption and the tsunami it caused serious damage, and the number of casualties is likely to increase.
Before and after the eruption:
An island has almost disappeared
On January 17, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research released a set of satellite comparisons of Tonga before and after the eruption.
The comparison covers the islands of Hon Aha Apay, The capital of Tonga, Nuku'alofa, and the three islands of Wolewa, Ujha and Nomuca.
This imposition photo shows a satellite image of Aha Apayee Island in Tongahun taken by the Worldview02 satellite on April 11, 2021 (left) and a satellite image of the island after the volcanic eruption taken by the Gaofen I satellite on January 17, 2022, with an orange curve showing the original outline of the island according to geographical coordinates. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
It can be seen that after the eruption of the volcano, the crater and most of the land of the island have sunk below the sea surface and cannot be observed from space.
In Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, green vegetation was covered with thick volcanic ash, house buildings were damaged, roads were flooded, and the runway of the airport was visibly damaged.
The roads on The island of Woroay are badly damaged, with signs of seawater backfilling in many locations, and buildings and coastlines being affected to some extent.
On Uyha, there have been collapses of building walls and backwater, and the original green plants and white roofs can now only be seen in a gray area.
On Nomuca Island, many seaside buildings have disappeared, the coastline has changed significantly, and the island's roads have been affected.
On the 18th, New Zealand sent a military plane to Tonga Air to survey the disaster situation in Tonga and took aerial photos of the west coast of the main island of Tonga Tabu Island.
Image source: CCTV News
The figure below shows that the coastal areas were severely damaged by the tsunami, and buildings and roads were damaged to varying degrees. The whole island is gray and covered in thick volcanic ash.
It is reported that New Zealand yesterday sent two warships to Tonga to carry the fresh water, food and diving teams needed in the disaster area. Tonga is working on rescue efforts with the assistance of New Zealand and Australia, but the rescue operation is facing difficulties due to damage to the docks and the cover of the airport runway by volcanoes.
After the disaster, Tonga's only submarine communications cable broke in two places, causing the country to lose contact with the outside world for a while. Tonga believes that it is not safe to carry out restoration work unless it is confirmed that the submarine volcano has ceased to be active. At present, the power supply in Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga, has been restored by 80%, and some areas of Tonga have access to restricted satellite telephone services, but some areas are still disconnected.
January 15 local time
Affected by volcanic eruptions and tsunamis
The whole territory of Tonga was once "lost"
Safety in the Chinese of Tonga
It has become the biggest concern of netizens
......
Liaocheng University: Teachers aiding foreign countries are safe
According to the Shandong Business Daily, after 95, Zhao called for help on the 17th, saying that his parents were involved in agricultural assistance in Tonga, and after the volcanic eruption in Tonga on the morning of the 15th caused a tsunami, both parents were in a state of disconnection.
On the 18th, Liaocheng University released the news that at present, Liaocheng University has three teachers, Zhao Peibao, Ren Aizhi and Zhang Jianfeng, carrying out education and foreign aid projects in Tonga. The Embassy in Tonga called Liaocheng University via satellite phone to inform the three foreign aid teachers that they were safe.
Lost in Tonga for three days
The Chinese woman found it
Earlier, netizen @reverse growth of hot mom posted On Weibo: "Feel the beauty of the volcanic eruption sky in the Kingdom of Tonga up close. Then, @reverse growth of hot mom did not appear on Weibo again, tens of thousands of netizens for its forwarding for peace.
Now, there is an extra line of notes on this Weibo - "The blogger has been found, the whole family is safe."
According to the Qianjiang Evening News, at noon on January 18, the husband of the blogger's daughter Yang Hongshu received a call from Yang Hongshu for nearly half a minute. Yang Hongshu told her husband: The family is currently safe.
The motherland is always behind you!
At 3 p.m. on January 18, the Consular Protection Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the latest news, according to the preliminary verification of the Embassy in Tonga, the Chinese citizens in the local area are currently safe.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has also repeatedly followed the relevant developments on his personal microblog.
Moments of crisis
The heart-wrenching news was echoed
Netizens swipe the screen:
May the Chinese citizens in Tonga be well-being!
(Press Room)