The undersea telecommunications cable connecting Tonga to the rest of the world that was damaged by a volcano eruption will take at least a month to repair, its owner said on Wednesday, with the delay likely hampering disaster recovery efforts.
The eruption of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcano, which killed at least three people and sent tsunami waves across the Pacific, knocked out connectivity to the archipelago on Saturday.
A specialist ship is aiming to set off from Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on a repair voyage this weekend, said Samiuela Fonua, chairman of cable owner Tonga Cable Ltd.
But with eight or nine days' sailing to collect equipment in Samoa followed by an uncertain journey towards the fault in the eruption area, he said it would be “lucky” if the job were done within a month.
“It could be longer than that,” he told Reuters by telephone from Auckland, where he has been co-ordinating the repair.
“The cables are actually around the volcanic zone. We don't know ... whether they are intact or blown away or stuck somewhere underwater. We don't know if it's buried even deeper.”
Telecom operator Digicel said its domestic network was active on Tonga's most populous island and it was now focused on restoring international connections. Tonga's government and state-owned Tonga Communications Corp could not be contacted.
Two New Zealand navy vessels will arrive in Tonga on Friday carrying critical water supplies for the Pacific island nation.
Hundreds of homes in Tonga's smaller outer islands have been destroyed after Saturday's huge eruption triggered tsunami waves that rolled over the islands, home to 105,000 people.
With Tonga's airport smothered by volcanic ash and communications badly hampered, information on the scale of devastation has come mostly from reconnaissance aircraft.
Red Cross teams said salt water from the tsunami and volcanic ash were polluting the drinking water of tens of thousands of people.
“Securing access to safe drinking water is a critical immediate priority … as there is a mounting risk of diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea,” said Katie Greenwood of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
New Zealand said Tonga, one of the few countries to be free of the coronavirus, had agreed to receive two of its ships, the Aotearoa and the Wellington, despite concerns about importing a Covid-19 outbreak that would exacerbate its crisis.
Simon Griffiths, captain of the Aotearoa, said his ship was carrying 250,000 litres of water, along with other supplies, and had the capacity to produce another 70,000 litres a day.
The Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted about 65 kilometres from the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa with a blast heard 2,300km away in New Zealand, and sent tsunamis across the Pacific Ocean.
James Garvin, chief scientist at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center, said the force of the eruption was estimated to be more than 500 times that of the nuclear bomb the US dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima at the end of the Second World War.
Waves reaching up to 15 metres hit the outer Ha'apai island group, destroying all the houses on the island of Mango, as well as the west coast of Tonga's main island, Tongatapu, where 56 houses were destroyed or seriously damaged, the prime minister's office said.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Honeymoonish
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Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FOLD5
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Sweet%20Tooth
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The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Mobile phone packages comparison
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
