Results for Ha'apai

While communications are down in Tonga’s Ha'apai Islands, concerns are held by families for the well being of the communities that live on low lying outer islands, as aerial pictures continue to come in showing extensive damage to homes and villages. The organisers of the recovery effort, hampered by communications problems, are finding it hard to assess the needs priorities. Flights to Ha‘apai are expected to resume on Monday.

A state of emergency for Vava‘u and Ha‘apai was declared at 8:00am today as Severe Tropical Cyclone Ian strengthened to Category 5, battering the groups with damaging gales and heavy rains overnight and today, with powerful intermittent gusts that were forecast to increase to 110 knots (203km per hour) with momentary gusts to 155 knots (287km). However the 9:30am advisory from Fua'amotu Tropical Cyclone warning Centre has downgraded Ian to Category 4 with gusts up to 135 knots.

A tourism operator in Ha'apai has been charged with assault and selling liquor without a license, according to Tonga Police in Nuku'alofa.

Two men age 24 and 51 have been charged for the rape of a mentally disadvantaged 20-year-old woman alleged to have taken place separately at different times in Pangai two-years-ago.

A wild boar chase by kava growers living on Tonga's volcanic island of Tofua yesterday may have led to the cancellation of an international flight to Tonga today, after smoke was spotted near the island and mistaken for a volcanic eruption

Fonoi village, home to 100 people in the outer islands of Ha'apai, received an early Christmas present from the Government of Japan who provided them with 26 new 5,000 litre water tanks.

The Tongan Cabinet has allocated $1 million from Government's National Emergency Fund to address immediate relief efforts to Ha'apai the island worst hit by Tropical Cyclone Wilma on January 25.

A major Clean Up Campaign initiated by an Air New Zealand "Green Team" begins next week in Ha'apai, targeting illegal rubbish dumps in Lifuka, putting up rubbish bins and setting up a transfer station on the island from where rubbish can be shipped to Tongatapu for disposal.

A welder and fitter for the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd Manase Katoa, in his testimony this morning at the Inquiry into the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika reaffirmed the advanced level of rust and corrosion of the vessel and how unfit it was to operate in Tonga.