Flights disrupted following Tonga tsunami
Andrew Brown |
Multiple flights have been cancelled or diverted to Australia following the impact of the tsunami in Tonga, as the prime minister pledged support to the Pacific island nation.
The tsunami, which was sparked by an underwater volcano eruption on Saturday, led to volcanic ash being strewn into the air and causing flight delays.
An Aircalin flight from Narita in Japan to La Tontouta in New Caledonia was diverted to Brisbane overnight due to the volcanic disruption.
All passengers and crew from the flight spent the night in quarantine hotels, with a new flight time yet to be set.
Two Fiji Airways flights from Brisbane to Nadi were also cancelled on Monday due to the volcanic cloud.
It also also led to delays for flights to Townsville from both Brisbane and Sydney.
It comes as an Australian P-8 plane arrived in Tonga on Monday morning to assess the damage from the volcanic eruption and tsunami.
The flight arrived just after 9am AEDT, and will determine how critical infrastructure has fared following the disaster.
Communication in the country has been disrupted with essential equipment heavily damaged.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the communication disruption and ash clouds made the situation challenging.
“We’re working to get as much support to Tonga as we possibly can,” he told 2GB on Monday.
“They’re part of our Pacific family, and … like all of those island nations, we’re always there to support and we certainly will be on this occasion.”
All Australians and other officials in Tonga have been accounted for.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the government was in contact with the high commissioner in Tonga, but communication was limited.
“This is a very challenging time. Communications are deeply, deeply affected by the events of the volcanic eruption. It has been felt in other parts of the region,” she told reporters on Monday.
“We’re seeking further information about the extent of the damage outside of (the capital) Nuku’alofa.”
Defence forces and foreign affairs officials will be working with other countries in the region to provide support.
Mr Morrison has also spoken with his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern.
Pacific Minister Zed Seselja said while there were reports of significant property damage in Tonga, there have been no reports of mass casualties.
“There is still very limited, if any, information coming from the outer islands, and so that will be the focus in coming hours,” Senator Seselja told ABC TV.
“We hope that in the next several hours, we’ll have a much better assessment of the damage in those outer islands where communications continue to be cut off.”
Senator Seselja said other support measures were being prepared and ready to go, including a C-130 plane with humanitarian supplies.
HMAS Adelaide, currently in Sydney, is being deployed to Brisbane where it will be loaded with supplies for Tonga.
“We’ve been chatting to our US, New Zealand and French partners and others about how we can get a coordinated response going,” Senator Seselja said.
“There will be further discussions with the Tongan government to determine how we can support the people of Tonga at this very difficult time, but we stand by to do much more.”
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said there were early reports of substantial ash coverage through Nuku’alofa along with coastal inundation and damage to infrastructure.
A tsunami warning was issued for parts of Australia’s east coast, but was cancelled on Sunday night.
However, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned of unusual sea level changes along the Queensland, Victorian and Tasmanian coasts.
AAP