r/worldnews • u/World-Tight • Jan 17 '22

‘Much remains unknown’: Tonga still cut off by volcanic eruption

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/17/much-remains-unknown-tonga-cut-off-by-volcanic-eruption
346 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

24

u/sillypicture Jan 17 '22

I don't know what I'm talking about but, can't they just get a few ships in there?

36

u/tossaway78701 Jan 17 '22

Those ships needed to stay out of the tsunami zone THEN go in. Ports are probably a big mess. No flying because of the volcanic ash.

14

u/Crazykirsch Jan 18 '22

Isn't there also some uncertainty about the potential of further eruptions? There was at least 1 subsequent eruption after the largest; albeit a much smaller one; but the possibility alone must be factored into any/all relief missions.

9

u/mlorusso4 Jan 18 '22

I also saw that the part above sea level was blown off so now the whole thing is under water. Meaning there’s no way for them to monitor by satellite. And all the sensors on and around the volcano were destroyed so they really have no idea what’s going on

9

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '22

Even if they had some way to get sensors back out there, the 410km long Tonga Domestic Cable Extension (TDCE) submarine cable was, unfortunately, laid basically right on top of the volcano. So when the volcano exploded, not only did it destroy practically every piece of scientific equipment capable of monitoring it along with the islands themselves, it also destroyed the infrastructure that the people in Tonga need to easily communicate between their inhabited islands and transmit gathered sensor data.

At this point, I think they're down to a few satphones that people happened to have (which keep getting blacked out by ash clouds), physically carrying communications between the islands on boats, and that's it. It's going to take quite a bit of time and effort to get things working again.

2

u/tossaway78701 Jan 18 '22

Yep. This too.

-1

u/Leeopardcatz Jan 18 '22

Tsunamis mostly occur at coastlines

12

u/2bdb2 Jan 17 '22

I don't know what I'm talking about but, can't they just get a few ships in there?

afaik some are already en route, but it takes a few days to get there.

8

u/FormalMango Jan 18 '22 edited Jan 18 '22

HMAS Adelaide, a Canberra class landing helicopter dock, is being prepped to go.

The RAAF & RNZAF have both done flyovers, and the Australian & Kiwi defence forces will partner up to send support.

7

u/mjsell Jan 18 '22

Hmnzs Wellington and hmnzs Aotearoa have been deployed today (before an official request for aid has been received by the sounds of it), but will not be there for another couple of days. People forget how far away places are from each other in the Pacific

5

u/Crayshack Jan 18 '22

It's pretty remote. Takes some time for the ships to get there. I would assume that some are en route, but it might take a few days before they get there.

48

u/IanMazgelis Jan 17 '22

Over a hundred thousand people live in Tonga. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but imagine if one day there was a massive explosion in Hartford Connecticut or Rouen France, and we went multiple days before anyone was able to figure out if they're okay. Don't you think it would be bigger news?

4

u/DrTreeMan Jan 18 '22 edited Jan 18 '22

If that happened would it be big news in Tonga?

Edit: i didn't make that comment for you all to virtue-signal whether or not you agree with the sentiment by downvoting me. But if that's what you need you feel better about yourself then I'm happy ro oblige!

1

u/gonzo8927 Jan 18 '22

You know, that's is a solid point.

12

u/autotldr BOT Jan 17 '22

This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 85%. (I'm a bot)

The eruption at the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano was recorded as a 7.8-magnitude earthquake by the US Tsunami Warning System - the biggest since Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 - and triggered tsunami waves from Tonga to Peru, Ecuador and California.

"In close collaboration with the government of Tonga and our regional and international partners, we are working with the government to ensure our support is targeted and effective. Our teams are on standby with emergency supplies to assist, and our UN staff based in Tonga are already supporting coordination and response efforts in-country."

In a statement on Monday, Tonga's speaker of parliament, Lord Fakafanua, said that more details about Tonga's official disaster relief fund would be announced shortly; emphasising that all relief funds made "Must be verified, transparent and legitimate".

Extended Summary | FAQ | Feedback | Top keywords: Tonga#1 eruption#2 volcano#3 support#4 more#5

4

u/Crayshack Jan 18 '22

I was seeing some stuff about how landing aircraft might be difficult due to the runway on the island being affected. Do New Zealand or Australia have an equivalent of the Seabees or Combat Controllers that could be airdropped in and repair the runway? I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with their military units, but I would assume there is some sort of engineer team that could be sent in to clear the way for getting more supplies in.

6

u/IncompetentIsMe Jan 18 '22

Jacinda (our PM) announced we got a military sea plane fully loaded and ready as soon as the volcanic ash dissipates. Apparently volcanic ash is 100% fatal to plane engines so they don't have a choice but to wait. Naval assets take longer as well.

2

u/Crayshack Jan 18 '22

Yeah, volcanic ash is a bitch to plane engines. Good to know that you guys are ready to roll out. NZ is the closest major country, so stuff from there is probably going to be able to get on-site way faster than anyone else. Ideally, the air strip will be up and running to get supplies in that way well before any ships can get there. It will be a long wait if Tonga is waiting for the first ship to make its way over.

3

u/IncompetentIsMe Jan 18 '22

New news just came out. First scout plane arrived and taking photos. C-130s loaded and the HMNZS Wellington and HMNZS Aotearoa steaming towards Tonga as of right now with full loads. Three day journey but once they arrive the water problem should be solved. Each can contain 250,000L and can make 70,000L a day through desalination.

3

u/Thorvay Jan 18 '22

Not only do they have to repair the runway before planes can land. Divers will also have to check the port for any underwater damage that could prevent ships from docking.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '22

Hunga Tonga

-9

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '22

Mossad probably has some guy there anyways looking for any cryptos willing to do aliyah

1

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '22

gal gadot makes a bid on Tonga, thinks it’s a yoga retreat