Buildings destroyed or washed away, official toll two
Tonga navy says 5-10 metres waves hit island
Airports closed, hampering international aid efforts
Australia, NZ on standby to send supplies
Wellington | Tonga’s small outlying islands have sustained major damage from a massive volcanic eruption and tsunami, the United Nations said on Tuesday, with downed communications and a blanket of ash hampering rescue efforts.
Tonga police have told the New Zealand High Commission that the confirmed death toll stands at two, but with communications in the South Pacific island nation cut, the true extent of casualties was not clear.
