Photo taken on Jan. 20, 2022 shows damaged houses after the tsunami hit Nuku'alofa, Tonga. (Photo by Marian Kupu/Broadcom Broadcasting/Handout via Xinhua)
WELLINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Tsunami waves hit Tonga on Saturday, following a series of violent eruptions from underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, 65 km north of the country's main island Tongatapu.
The tsunami had a significant impact on part of the foreshore of Tonga, with boats and large boulders washed ashore and shops along the coast damaged.
An interim telecommunication system has been set up in Tonga to allow its connection with the rest of the world using 2G networks, New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Wednesday.
However, this connection will be limited and patchy covering about 10 percent of usual capacity and prioritizing voice and SMS communications, it said.
U.S. cable company SubCom said at least four weeks are needed to repair Tonga's cable connection.
Power in the Pacific islands country has been restored, with clean-up and damage assessments ongoing. Tongan authorities have been distributing relief supplies.
Photo taken on Jan. 20, 2022 shows damaged houses and streets after the tsunami hit Nuku'alofa, Tonga. (Photo by Marian Kupu/Broadcom Broadcasting/Handout via Xinhua)
Photo taken on Jan. 20, 2022 shows damaged area after the tsunami hit Nuku'alofa, Tonga. (Photo by Marian Kupu/Broadcom Broadcasting/Handout via Xinhua)
Photo taken on Jan. 20, 2022 shows damaged houses after the tsunami hit Nuku'alofa, Tonga. (Photo by Marian Kupu/Broadcom Broadcasting/Handout via Xinhua)
Local residents clear up a road damaged by the tsunami in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Jan. 20, 2022. (Photo by Marian Kupu/Broadcom Broadcasting/Handout via Xinhua)
Local residents clear up a road damaged by the tsunami in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. (Photo by Marian Kupu/Broadcom Broadcasting/Handout via Xinhua)
A building and the street are covered by ash after a volcanic eruption in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. (Photo by Marian Kupu/Broadcom Broadcasting/Handout via Xinhua)
A car is blackened out by ash after a volcanic eruption in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. (Photo by Marian Kupu/Broadcom Broadcasting/Handout via Xinhua)
Local residents clear up a road damaged by the tsunami in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Jan. 20, 2022. (Photo by Marian Kupu/Broadcom Broadcasting/Handout via Xinhua) ■
