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Beijing, 20 Jan (Xinhua) -- The volcanic ash on the runway of Nuku'alofa Airport in Tonga's capital has been cleared, and the first batch of aid planes landed on the 20th.
A spokesman for the New Zealand Ministry of Defense said on the 20th that a C-130 "Hercules" military transport aircraft in New Zealand has landed at Nuku'alofa Airport. New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaya Mahuta said the plane was carrying humanitarian relief supplies, including water storage containers, temporary accommodation, generators, hygiene supplies and communications equipment.
This photo provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Defence shows Tongatapu Island, the main island of Tonga, taken on January 17. (Xinhua News Agency)
Mahuta said that for epidemic prevention reasons, the handover of supplies was carried out in a non-contact manner, and the plane stayed at the airport for up to 90 minutes. Tonga currently has no COVID-19 pandemic and fears that rescuers could bring in the coronavirus.
Two ships of the New Zealand Navy departed on the 18th with relief supplies and are expected to arrive in Tonga on the 21st.
Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said on the 20th that an Australian Air Force aircraft took off to Tonga on the same day, carrying humanitarian relief materials and airport runway volcanic ash cleaning equipment, and another aircraft took off later on the same day. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation later reported that australia's first plane had arrived.
The submarine volcano of Tongahun Aha Apay Island erupted violently on the 14th and 15th, triggering a tsunami. The Tonga government issued the first disaster notification on the 18th, and the severity of the disaster was "unprecedented", and it has been confirmed that 3 people were killed and some people were injured.
This is a photograph of streets and houses after the tsunami in Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, on January 20. (Xinhua News Agency)
The United Nations says 84,000 people in Tonga, or about 80 percent of the population, are in dire need of drinking water and food. Speaking to Reuters in an interview with Reuters in Nuku'alofa, Tonga media reporter Marian Coop said: "Every family has a water tank, but most of it is covered with volcanic ash, and [the water inside] can no longer be drunk." Food "may last for weeks."
Communications between Tonga and the outside world were disrupted due to damage to submarine communication lines in the volcanic eruption. The New Zealand Foreign Ministry said on the 19th that Tonga has established a temporary communication system that can use 2G signals to communicate with the outside world "limited and scattered".
John Plu, a Tongan living in Auckland, New Zealand, finally spoke to his family on the 20th. "We can finally breathe a sigh of relief and sleep a little more peacefully." He said. (Lin Shuting)