TONGA CUT OFF BY VOLCANIC BLAST, FEARS GROW FOR COASTAL
The volcano that erupted on the Pacific island nation of Tonga has almost disappeared from view, new images revealed Tuesday.
Swathes of the country are smothered in gray ash and dust or damaged by a tsunami.
Tonga is still virtually cut off from the rest of the world since Saturday’s Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano explosion.
The country’s small outer islands suffered extensive damage from the massive volcanic eruption and tsunami.
An entire village was destroyed and many buildings are missing.
Three days since the explosion, emergency relief efforts have stalled.
Phone lines are still down and an undersea internet cable that was cut, is not expected to be repaired for weeks.
Fragments of information have filtered out via a handful of satellite phones in Tonga, which is home to little more than 100,000 people.
The true toll of the disaster is yet unknown.