Results for Pacific Islands

When Tongatapu’s small business community met on Thursday Jan. 27, to discuss their concerns, amid an unfolding national catastrophe, following volcanic eruptions and devastating tsunamis, they slumped in chairs and their faces showed how seriously concerned, worried, exhausted and frustrated they are. But after all of that, what's really destroying them is the total failure of Tonga's international communications two weeks ago. Tonga's telecommunications authorities have put spectrum licensing roadblocks around the local private sector's ability to find relief in a commercial satellite broadband service solution. By Mary Lyn Fonua.

“We were lucky that it was daylight when the tsunami happened and we fled to higher grounds,” said ‘Aliki Moavuka (53), a school principal, on the outer island of Fonoifua, one of the worst affected by the natural disaster in the Ha’apai Group.

Eleven people on Pangaimotu Island climbed into a fau tree as tsunamis ravaged the coast of the low-lying atoll on Jan. 15, following the massive explosion at Hunga volcano.

With a little help from the Tongan tug boat, the Australian Defence Force staff docked the HMAS Adelaide themselves, at Vuna Wharf in Tonga yesterday evening, after fears over COVID-19 transmission. There are 29 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 on board the ship that berthed at 6:39 pm.

The people evacuated from Mango island in Ha'apai are being brought to Tongatapu, to relieve pressure on Nomuka, where the whole population of Mango were moved last week, the 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 government has declared two States of Emergency for the whole of Tonga, and outlined their responses during the briefing. By Matangi Tonga reporters.

Today's eruption of the Hunga volcano, continuous for over 12 hours, reached 20km above sea level - the largest in a series of eruptions since December. Tsunami waves of up to 30cm were still being recorded at 6:00pm on the Nuku'alofa tidal gauge, according to the latest official monitoring reports.

All Tongan civil servants were instructed to go home this afternoon as Government offices closed at 1:30pm, due to the tsunami warning in force. Authorities stressed that there is no need for any evacuation but people are advised to keep away from beaches and low lying coastlines in Tonga today, while increased activity at the Hunga volcano is monitored.

Two repatriation flights to Tonga from Vanuatu and Auckland, New Zealand, are scheduled to arrive at Fua'amotu Int'l Airport next week on January 18 and 20 respectively, the Ministry of Health CEO, Dr Siale 'Akau'ola confirmed this afternoon.

Tropical Cyclone Cody (Cat.1) that developed from Tropical Depression TD03F this morning near Fiji, however, is not likely to pose a direct threat to Tonga island groups on its current track, Tonga Tonga Meteorological Services forecast today.