Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Sep 29, 2025

Tonga tsunami sparks 'unprecedented disaster', government says

Tonga tsunami sparks 'unprecedented disaster', government says

Tonga says it has been hit by an "unprecedented disaster" in the government's first update since a volcanic eruption triggered a tsunami.

Rescue teams have been sent to some of the outlying islands, including one where all the houses were destroyed and another where just two homes remain.

The UN has confirmed four deaths in the disaster - three nationals and a woman from Britain.

Aid efforts have been hampered by ash continuing to fall from the volcano.

Volunteers have been sweeping the runway of the main airport to allow planes bringing drinking water and other supplies to land.

On Wednesday morning in Tonga, a UN representative for the region said that while clearing the ash had proven more difficult than expected, good progress had been made and it was hoped that flights might soon resume.

"We thought that it would be operational [Tuesday], but it hasn't been fully cleared yet because more ash has been falling," Jonathan Veitch told reporters.

Mr Veitch praised the quick response of New Zealand and Australia in working to dispatch aid via ships and described a "very challenging" situation.

Communications with the island chain has been majorly disrupted after the single underwater cable connecting Tonga to the rest of the world was severed in the eruption on Saturday.

Many Tongans abroad have since been waiting to hear news from loved ones.

The Tongan government said on Tuesday that the internet was down, but that some local phone services were available and work was under way to restore full communications.

The statement also said:

* A 65-year-old woman, a 49-year-old man and British woman Angela Glover were killed in the tsunami. A number of injuries have also been reported and a fourth death was later confirmed by the UN
* Dozens of houses on the main island of Tongatapu were also damaged
* Evacuations from the worst-hit islands are under way
* Water supplies have been "seriously affected" by the volcanic ash
* Flights have been temporarily halted and sea transport routes are disrupted

Meanwhile, the UN said it would try to maintain Tonga's Covid-free status when aid starts arriving.

Settlements on Tonga no longer visible after eruption

Drag button left to see impact on northern part of Tonga's main island


Tongan officials have expressed concern that deliveries could spread Covid, with the country only recording its first case in October.

The UN said it was unclear if personnel could be sent to assist, but that supplies like water and food could be delivered as the main island's port remained viable.

There have been reports of food supplies at shops running low and deliveries have been deemed a priority.

Saturday's volcanic eruption was felt as far away as the US. In Peru, two people drowned in abnormally high waves while beaches near the capital Lima were closed off following an oil spill.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
×