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Aus. sends surveillance flight to tsunami-hit Tonga

17 January 2022
19046
2022-01-17 15:08

Australia has sent a surveillance flight to Tonga to assess the extent of the damage from a huge undersea volcanic eruption. New Zealand's military on Monday morning was also able to send a flight.

A towering ash cloud had prevented the military from launching any flights earlier to the Pacific island nation. People on Tonga described their country as looking like a moonscape as they began the task of cleaning up from the tsunami waves and ash fall caused by the eruption.

Communications with the island nation remained limited after the internet was cut soon after the eruption on Saturday evening. There were no reports of injuries or deaths, although concerns remained for the fate of people on some of the smaller islands near the volcano.

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