Full extent of damage from Tonga volcano eruption, tsunami still not clear


Aerial photos taken by New Zealand Defense Force reconnaissance flights show destruction on several of Tonga's outer islands, but officials warn that until communications are restored to all parts of the kingdom, it won't be entirely clear how much damage was caused by Saturday's undersea volcano eruption and subsequent tsunami.
Tonga is made up of more than 170 islands, and has a population of about 104,000. When the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted early Saturday morning, it sent ash and steam into the air. Because there is still ashfall, all airports, even those that didn't sustain damage by the tsunami, are closed. This is hindering aid efforts, as planes carrying supplies from New Zealand and Australia aren't able to land. Officials are hopeful that Tonga's main airport, Fua'amotu International Airport, will be able to open on Wednesday.
The eruption cut Tonga's undersea communication cable, and officials said the necessary fixes can't be made until volcanic activity stops. Distress signals were detected on Mango Island, home to about 50 people, and it's believed islands were hit by waves up to 30-feet high. "It is very alarming to see the wave possibly went through Atata [Island] from one end to the other," Curtis Tu'ihalangingie, Tonga's deputy head of mission in Australia, told Reuters.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Officials are warning that the death toll, which is now at two, will likely rise. "People panic, people run and get injuries," Tu'ihalangingie said. "Possibly there will be more deaths and we just pray that is not the case." One of the people who died was a British national named Angela Glover, an employee at an animal rescue facility; she died while attempting to save dogs from the tsunami.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
October 12 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the MAGA Matrix, bear and bull markets, and ICE at a job fair.
-
The quest to defy ageing
The Explainer Humanity has fantasised about finding the fountain of youth for millennia. How close are we now?
-
Codeword: October 12, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Israel, Hamas agree to first step of Trump peace plan
Speed Read Israel’s military pulls back in Gaza amid prisoner exchange
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a week
Speed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime minister
Speed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s plan
Speed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sites
Speed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace plan
Speed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU party
Speed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years