Editor’s note to Readers: Due to our lack of internet access in Tonga since Jan. 16, we have a backlog of material to upload to the Matangi Tonga Online. Therefore, at the start of this article, we note the local time of reporting, which may be different from the time of posting on the website. We will continue to post articles whenever we are able to find upload capacity out of Tonga, it's in very short supply.

Local time of reporting: Friday evening, Jan. 21, 2022.

By Pesi Fonua

The people evacuated from Mango island in Ha'apai are being brought to Tongatapu, to relieve pressure on Nomuka, Tonga's new Prime Minister Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, said on Friday Jan. 21.

At his second public briefing, following the Hunga Tonga - Hunga Ha‘apai volcanic eruption and tsunamis that hit Tonga on Saturday Jan. 15, the PM announced that government had already moved the whole population of the small island of Mango to Nomuka in the Ha'apai Group.

He said that Nomuka was also heavily damaged by the tsunami and was having problems catering for its own population, so the government was intending to move the people of Mango away from Nomuka and bring them to Tongatapu as soon as possible. 

Nine Cabinet Ministers attended the press conference held at the Prime Minister's Office in Nuku'alofa.

The government has experienced difficulties in getting reliable information from outer islands, as first responders are focused on delivering aid.

Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Poasi Tei said that the Tonga navy vessel, Ngahau Koula, on Friday was at the ‘Otumotu Mu'omu'a in Ha‘apai Group distributing drinking water and essential needs.

“HMAF is providing us with information on the situation on these islands.”

He was informed there were only 30 people on Mango during the eruption.  An estimated 62 people live on Mango, but during the Christmas holidays, some people had left the island.

Hon. Tei said that although they had staff on the island but there were problems getting reports and they were sending  HMAF VOEA Ngahau Koula back again to get more information.

“So the real information that we want to have is: what is the real population of the island, the damages. We have staff there but they have not been able to report back. So we are hoping that the Ngahau Koula can go back [to Ha'apai] and those people can talk to us and give us the information,” he said.

Domestic air services resuming

PM Sovaleni announced that the national Lulutai Airline had resumed its service to the Niuas and Vava‘u on Jan. 20, after flights were suspended on Jan. 15 due to activity at the volcano, 65km north of Nuku'alofa.

The national domestic airline may now operate flights into and out of Tongatapu, Vava‘u and the Niuas. 

Meanwhile, the air services to ‘Eua and Ha‘apai, await the cleaning of runways, which are covered with layers of volcanic ash from the volcanic eruption. At the press conference, no details were available on the thickness of the ash layer on the runway on Lifuka, or on the local challenges of removing it.

Communications break down

With regards to re-establishing Tonga’s international telecommunications network, the PM said a special ship would come to fix the broken telecommunications submarine cable, “soon”.

Meanwhile, two international telecommunications service providers, Digital and Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC) were trying to find a solution to Tonga’s serious international communications break down.

A New Zealand navy ship had arrived in Tongan water to conduct a survey of shipping lanes and to make sure that it is safe to resume shipping services. They are also looking at things like damage to the wharves and harbour facilities.

On Thursday Jan. 20, two aircraft from New Zealand and Australia landed at the Fua‘amotu International Airport, and another two aircraft were also expected to arrive from Australia on Friday Jan. 21.

Two navy ships from Australia and New Zealand had arrived in Tonga to assist in the recovery efforts. 

These military aircrafts and warships were off loading drinking water, tarpaulins, tents, water blast shovels and equipment for the cleaning of homes.

Three deaths

The PM confirmed that three people had died in the tsunamis that struck with a devastating impact on some of the coastal areas and low-lying islands of Tonga.

The dead included a British national, Angela Glover (51) who was staying at Kanokupolu, Tongatapu. In Ha'apai a man, Telai Tutu‘ila died at Mango island; and a woman, Maumi Lauaki at Nomuka, Ha‘apai.

Schools

The PM confirmed that all government schools would reopen on Monday, Jan. 31.

The government has made cash hand-outs to families, presumably in areas that have been heavily impacted by the tsunamis.

The Minister of Finance, Hon. Tatafu Moeaki declared that starting from Jan. 21,  “every family” had been given $500 cash to help ease the burden of the situation that they are in.

There has also been consideration of the elderly, who may need special care.

“We are releasing that fund today to the banks and, hopefully, there is no communication restriction that will make things difficult. We are giving financial aid to people in these affected areas, it’s because of villages and islands, that as of today, has been confirmed to be severely impacted.” 

Hon. Moeaki, said that by Jan. 24-25 they expected an additional $44 million in the Government’s accounts, including USD$10m from the Asian Development Bank and USD$8 from the World Bank. 

In addition to that is AUD$1m from the Australian Government and USD$100,000 from China.

“There are also money coming in through other manners, there is Japanese funds, which are coming through development projects,” he said.

Hon. Moeaki stressed that most important was for government to be at a situation that is safe to be able to counter some of these natural disasters. 

“For example, our international communications, this project cost $34 million, it’s broken. It means that it has to be rebuilt, to make sure it will not break after another eruption. 

“You are all aware, that the escape road to the rural areas is nowhere ready.”

The volcano could erupt again.

“There are a lot of works to be done to secure that we are in a safe situation in case of another tsunami,” he said.

Tourism devastation

The new Minister for Tourism, Hon. Fekita ‘Utoikamanu, said that before the eruption they were in the midst of drafting a strategy plan on how to revive the Tourism Sector.

Tourism facilities had been heavily impacted by Cyclone Gita (2018) and Cyclone Harold (2020) and the closing of Tonga's border in March 2020 under the COVID heath emergency regulations.

“In the midst of that, this happened, and we are working on a new plan,” she said.

However, Hon. ‘Utoikamanu agreed with the Minister of Finance, that the priority at the moment was to make sure that they assist the people who are under heavy pressure. 

“After that then we will move on to other work plans,” she said.

The Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Dr Viliami Latu, said that he had read a report from NASA that the eruption was many times stronger than the nuclear bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima.

Earlier reports from government sources:

THURSDAY JAN. 20

Tonga's Ministry of Finance approved urgent one-off relief assistance for displaced households in villages and islands with severe and catastrophic damage caused by the tsunamis. This included a cash grant of $500 and an additional $200 for the elderly and special needs people.

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs supported by the Ministry of Finance and Statistics Department are tasked to provide the pay out as quickly as possible starting this week,” the Minister announced.

King Tupou VI made an address to the nation broadcast via telephone call from the Royal Residence at ‘Eua (additional reporting to follow).

WEDNESDAY JAN. 19

Patrol boats and the landing craft, VOEA Late were already in Ha'apai.  HMAF VOEA Ngahau Koula was deployed the day after the eruption with first responders, including a health team and relief workers to the ‘Otumu‘omu‘a group in Ha‘apai, carrying relief items, including water, food and tents. 

Due to the severity of the damages observed, the HMAF VOEA Late was also deployed on Tuesday, Jan. 18 with another health team, additional resources and emergency responders, based on reports from the initial mission for Mango, Fonoifua and Nomuka.

HMAF spokesperson, at Sene Base, in Nuku'alofa, confirmed they would do an initial assessment and survey on the conditions on those islands after the eruption. They were also evacuating people.

Search and rescue operations

Deputy Police Commissioner Tevita Vailea confirmed three tsunami deaths: a British woman in Tongatapu and two in Ha'apai. The woman, (later identified as Angela Glover) who was missing, was staying at a house on the western coast, where she was last seen when a tsunami hit. Her husband reported her missing to Tonga Police. They carried out a search and rescue operation on the coast near 'Ahau on Sunday, Jan. 16.

On Monday morning, Jan. 17, Tonga Police had added more manpower to their search party, who found the Angela's body on the coast near the Good Samaritan Beach Resort at around 9:45am.

Dep. Com. Vailea said that the two deaths in Ha'apai were reported via satellite phone from Tonga Navy VOEA Ngahau Siliva patrol boat that was in Ha‘apai to survey the damage and provide relief supplies.

They reported back to Nuku‘alofa, via the defence services, on Jan. 18 that a 49-year-old man in Nomuka had died. The other was a 65-year-old woman in Mango.

There had been no other reports of anyone missing or any more deaths as of Jan. 19, DPC Vailea said. There were some injuries reported.

The National Emergency Management Committee (NEMC) had also conducted a search operation on Sunday morning at 'Atata Island. The person was found alive.

New government

Tonga's new government and new Prime Minister had just been sworn-into office in parliament on Thursday Jan. 13, the day before the volcanic eruption. The new Cabinet had taken up their portfolios on 29 December, 2021

SUNDAY JAN. 16

One of the new Prime Minister's first official tasks was to declare two national emergencies.

A Declaration of a State of Emergency (Volcanic Eruption at Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai) was declared under the Emergency Management Act for the whole of Tonga from 8:00am on Sunday 16 January 2022 to 8:00am Sunday Feb. 13, 2022, unless further renewed.

The head of Tonga's Defence and Police forces, Brigadier Rt. Hon. Lord Fielakepa, declared restricted areas at Kanokupolu, Patangata and Nukunukumotu on Tongatapu, and the west side of 'Atata island, and any other areas marked by police and military roadblocks around those areas. Except for residents, the public are prohibited from entering those areas.

The other national emergency declared by the Prime Minister was a renewal of the Public Health Emergency to prevent or minimize risk and loss of human life to COVID-19. (Tonga has had no community cases.) The State of Emergency was renews from Jan. 17 until Feb. 14, 2022, at 8:00pm.

National COVID-19 restrictions were also renewed for the same period including the night time curfews from midnight to 5:00am, and restricting the size of gatherings to 50 indoors and 100 outdoors, except for religious services and educational institutions.

The Prime Minister also declared that retail shops could open on Sunday Jan. 16 from 8:00am until 2:00pm, in a move that proved he could prioritise a national emergency above the religious constraints demanded by some people in the community. Tonga has sabbatical laws that prevent trading on the Sabbath. 

In Nuku'alofa, families desperate for uncontaminated bottled water and emergency supplies, queued at shops throughout the morning. Out on the western side, women and children walked from Ha'atafu village (which has no shop) to the village of ‘Ahau to pick up essential supplies – they couldn't drive because the road was blocked with tsunami debris, and some cars had been crushed or swept away.

TUESDAY JAN. 18

On Tuesday Jan. 18, in its first media statement following the disaster, the Prime Minister's Office said the National Emergency Management Committee (NEMC) had met after the disaster on Saturday night, Jan. 15, to discuss and approve immediate response operations and planning. The initial damage assessment was underway. NEMC was meeting daily.

The first official update after the eruption, in fact one of the first official announcements of the new government read: “An unprecedented disaster hit Tonga caused by the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption on Saturday evening, Jan. 15, 2022, followed by a tsunami warning issued, which triggered a mass evacuation.” [from coastal areas].

“As a result of the volcanic eruption, a volcanic mushroom plume was released reaching the stratosphere and extending radially, covering all Tonga Islands, generating tsunami waves rising up to 15 metres, hitting the west coasts of Tongatapu Islands, ‘Eua and Ha‘apai Islands.”

All houses were destroyed on Mango Island; only two houses remained on Fonoifua island, with extensive damage on Nomuka island. 

The international fibre optic cable was damaged and the internet was down.

An Initial Damage Assessment (IDA) team comprised of various representatives from government and non-government departments, deployed immediately on Sunday to coastal villages in Tongatapu to assess damages to private households and their needs.

Communications

Fibre optic cable communications, both international and domestic, were cut during the eruptions and there was no further communication with the outer islands until the morning of Monday, January 17 after the deployment of HMAF patrol boats.

As of Jan. 18, limited communication had been made with Vava‘u and Ha‘apai through satellite phones and HF radio. 

There had been no communication with the Niuas. However, the Niuas were considered low risk because of their relative distance from the Hunga-Tonga-Ha’apai volcano.

Domestic phone calls operated only within Tongatapu and ‘Eua.

The two communications operators were working on satellite options hoping to restore some services.  Priority would be given to international calls and communication services such as emails. 

Volcanic ash

The volcanic ash seriously affected water supplies. Government made efforts to ensure the continuity of the supply of safe drinking water. (Additional reporting to be posted). 

Their cluster system was activated and is compiling reports on needs to be addressed. Challenges to sea and air transportation remain due to damage sustained by the waves and the ash that is covering the runways.

Domestic and international flights were deferred until further notice as the airports underwent clean ups.

Even though the tsunami warning had been cancelled and volcanic activity had significantly decreased, monitoring efforts continued.

- With reporting by Linny Folau, Eleanor Gee and Mary Lyn Fonua.

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Footnote on names: Tonga's Prime Minister is also referred to by a Tongan title, Hon. Hu'akavameiliku. He was sworn in as Prime Minister in parliament on Jan. 13 under his electoral name, Hon. Siaosi ‘Ofa ki Vahafolau Sovaleni.