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Images reveal devastation in tsunami-hit Tonga
Tonga has been virtually cut off from the rest of the world since Saturday's volcanic blast -- one of the largest recorded in decades.
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This satellite image taken and released by Maxar Technologies on January 18, 2022 shows a small section (left) the island where the Hunga-Tonga - Hunga-Haa'pai volcano used to be visible, three days after a massive eruption destroyed most of the island on January 15, devastating Tonga and causing a tsunami across the Pacific Ocean. (AFP/Maxar Technologies)
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volcano that exploded on the Pacific island nation of Tonga has almost disappeared from view, new images revealed Tuesday, with swathes of the island nation smothered in grey ash and dust or damaged by a tsunami.
Tonga has been virtually cut off from the rest of the world since Saturday's volcanic blast -- one of the largest recorded in decades.
The volcano erupted 30 kilometres (about 19 miles) into the air and deposited ash, gas and acid rain across a large area of the Pacific.
Three days after the eruption, the outside world is still scrambling to understand the scale of the disaster, using patchy satellite phone connections, surveillance flights and satellite images.
New Zealand said two people have been confirmed killed, citing Tonga police on the island. One of them is a British woman. Her family say the body was found after she was swept away by the tsunami.
Satellite images released by Maxar Technologies on Tuesday showed that where most of the volcanic structure stood above sea level a few days ago, there is now just open sea.
Only two relatively small volcanic islands were still visible above sea level after the eruption.
