Devastated Tonga sees aid flights finally arrive

WELLINGTON－The first aircraft carrying supplies arrived in Tonga on Thursday, five days after the South Pacific island nation was hit by a volcanic eruption and tsunami that devastated communities and spoiled most of its drinking water.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules landed in Tonga's Fua'amotu International Airport, a military spokesperson said, after a blanket of volcanic ash was cleared off the runway.

An Australian Globemaster military transport aircraft also landed.

Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said in a statement that the aircraft was loaded with supplies including water desalination equipment, shelter, kitchens, and a sweeper to help remove ash from the airport.

The New Zealand aircraft was carrying humanitarian aid and disaster relief supplies, including kits for temporary shelters, generators, hygiene and family kits, and communications equipment, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said in a statement.

The explosion of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano on Saturday killed at least three people, sent tsunami waves rolling across the archipelago, damaging villages, resorts and many buildings and knocked out communications for the nation of about 105,000 people.

Telephone links between Tonga and the outside world were reconnected late on Wednesday, though restoring full internet services was likely to take a month or more.

Speaking to Reuters from the capital, Nuku'alofa, journalist Marian Kupu said Tongans were cleaning up all the dust from the volcanic eruption but feared they may run out of drinking water.

"Each home has their own tanks of water supply but most of them are filled with dust so it's not safe for drinking," he said.

New Zealand has sent two ships, one of which is carrying 250,000 liters of water and desalination equipment that will be able to produce 70,000 liters a day.

'Real life Aquaman'

According to local media, a 57-year-old Tongan man who said he swam around 27 hours after getting swept out to sea during Saturday's devastating tsunami has been hailed a 'real life Aquaman'.

Lisala Folau, who lived on the small, isolated island of Atata which has a population of about 60 people, was swept out to sea when the waves hit land at about 7 pm on Saturday, he told Tongan media Broadcom Broadcasting.

Folau said he kept floating, and slowly managed to swim 7.5 kilometers to the main island of Tongatapu, reaching the shore 27 hours later at about 10 pm on Sunday.

Tongans abroad were frantically calling families back home to ensure they are safe.

"It was very relieving to hear from them," said Fatafehi Fakafanua, the speaker of Tonga's legislative assembly, who was in New Zealand when the disaster struck, after making contact with his family.

"They are fine. ... The government has advised them to drink bottled water, to cover up when they are outside and also wear masks because of the ash."

The United Nations said that about 84,000 people－more than 80 percent of the population－have been badly affected by the disaster with safe water being "the biggest lifesaving issue".

Agencies - Xinhua