Children among wreckage, cars seen covered as tsunami swamps Tonga

The Tongan government has released images showing the scale of the damage to the archipelago from a massive tsunami that swamped the islands after an undersea volcano erupted on Saturday.

The images, showing children among the debris, ash covering cars and homes ripped to the ground, were released as HMAS Adelaide was docked at Brisbane before heading to the battered island with supplies.

The Tongan consulate has released images of the damage to Nuku’alofa, the island’s capital. Credit: Consulate of the Kingdom of Tonga

A C-17 plane took off from Amberley, south-west of Ipswich in Queensland, on Thursday morning with humanitarian relief, and to assess damage to the runway, which was covered in ash.

The Consulate of the Kingdom of Tonga released images online overnight of parts of Nuku’alofa severely damaged, saying the region was “covered in volcanic ash” from the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano, just 65 kilometres from the capital, Nuku’alofa.

Homes have been damaged in Nuku’alofa.

Children can be seen in the debris in Nuku’alofa.

The explosion was an “unprecedented disaster” for Tonga, the government said.

“As a result of the 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,” the statement said.

In addition to HMAS Adelaide, which will transport water purification and other humanitarian supplies, two New Zealand navy vessels, HMNZS Wellington and HMNZS Aotearoa, were expected to arrive on Friday with water, a desalination plant and other recovery equipment.

HMAS Adelaide was expected to leave by early Friday with supplies.

With concerns around Tonga being unaffected by COVID-19, Major General Scott Winter, speaking at Brisbane’s port, said the fully vaccinated Australian response crew would undergo rigorous testing regimes.

Australian Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters pictured at the HMAS Adelaide before it departs the port of Brisbane.Credit: Defence

“Everything we do will be in accordance with the COVID protocols established by the government of Tonga,” he said.

“Tonga has been extremely successful in keeping COVID out, and we need to be extremely mindful and careful of that at all times.

“We will be [taking] some health experts to be able to further inform that as we go; certainly COVID is an initial concern.”

The United Nations said 84,000 people, about 80 per cent of the population, had been affected by the disaster. There were three confirmed fatalities and injuries were reported.

Reports said about 100 houses were damaged on the main island of Tongatapu and 50 destroyed. There were severe impacts from the tsunami on more sparsely populated outlying islands. All houses on the island of Mango were destroyed and only two houses remained on Fonoifua, with extensive damage reported on Nomuka. Evacuation of people from Mango and Fonoifua to Nomuka was under way.

Drinking water was a pressing issue, with the ash and seawater contaminating supply. The government advised people to drink only bottled water.

HMAS Adelaide in Brisbane before travelling to Tonga to assist in relief efforts. Credit: Defence

Communications could take up to a month to restore, with the undersea cable linking Tonga to the internet expected to take up to four weeks to repair. Telstra and the Australian government were working to establish satellite links.

The Australian Red Cross was on Tuesday loading supplies from its Brisbane warehouse, sending more than 2000 water containers, 1300 tarpaulins, 160 shelter kits, 1000 solar lanterns and 850 mosquito nets.

Ash has covered much of Tonga, hindering aircraft getting supplies into the area.

Consultation was under way to have New Caledonian Armed Forces reconnaissance flights deployed to gather information and aerial views of disaster zones and to deliver drinking water and food from New Caledonia.

Australia was working on the aid effort with New Zealand, France, Fiji, the US, Japan and Britain.