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Tonga after the volcanic eruption (satellite image): At least 50 houses destroyed
Photo: Uncredited / dpa
It is the first official statement that Tonga's government has issued since the massive eruption of the submarine volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai: At least three people have died in the natural disaster.
The office of Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni announced on Tuesday that there were two Tongans and one British woman.
Communications links to the island kingdom have been severely restricted since the volcano erupted on Saturday.
Among those killed in the accident was a 50-year-old British woman who ran a street dog charity in Tonga.
She was swept away by the tidal wave while her husband was able to cling to a tree, her brother told the British Guardian.
As a result of the "unprecedented catastrophe", injuries were also reported, it said.
Accordingly, the eruption created a volcanic ash cloud that covered all the islands of Tonga.
The eruption also caused tsunami waves up to 15 meters high.
The United Nations Emergency Relief Office (OCHA) had previously reported that at least 50 homes had been destroyed and 100 others damaged.
Severe damage near the coast was reported from the capital Nuku'alofa.
However, the health facilities are functioning according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
There is concern about the thick layer of ash that may have contaminated water reservoirs.
The population was asked to only drink bottled water.
Vital Supplies
Tonga's navy brought vital supplies to some islands.
On the low-lying island of Mango, from which a distress signal had been received, all the houses had been destroyed.
Two houses remained on Fonoifua.
The islanders would be taken to safety by the navy.
The ash and damage to the piers made sea and air transport difficult.
Aid flights cannot land in Tonga for the time being because the airport's runway is covered with a layer of ash.
Australia and New Zealand have three naval vessels on standby to transport aid supplies if needed.
The islands can be reached from there by sea in three to five days.
The Red Cross wants to provide more than 2,500 canisters of drinking water.
France, which has overseas territories in the South Pacific, also pledged help.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai hurled a gigantic cloud of ash and gas kilometers high over the weekend, triggering tsunami waves that even swept onto the coasts of Japan, Alaska and South America.
Meanwhile, Maxar Technologies released satellite images of the volcano.
The portion of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai that was above sea level until Sunday's eruption has almost completely disappeared, with only two small volcanic islets remaining.
kha/dpa/AFP