Photos show the destructive power of volcanoes and tsunamis in Tonga

(Dan Tri) – The volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga last weekend caused some areas in this island nation to be almost completely destroyed.

Photo taken by the New Zealand Air Force shows a coastal residential area in Tonga devastated by a volcano and tsunami (Photo: New Zealand Air Force).

According to the Guardian news agency, 40 photos taken by the New Zealand Air Force with a reconnaissance plane partly showed the extent of the devastation caused by the volcanic eruption and tsunami on January 15 to the island nation of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean.

These are photos taken by a New Zealand Air Force reconnaissance plane and shared with the Tonga government.

Photos show that islands such as Fonoifua, Niniva, Nomuka and Mango were all devastated.

Fonoifua Island is said to have also `suffered extensive destruction with the largest buildings destroyed or severely damaged`.

Mango Island, an island located low above sea level, was devastated at a `catastrophic` level.

Satellite photos before and after the area affected by the volcano and tsunami in Tonga (Photo: UNOSAT).

Tonga’s Fua’amotu International Airport did not suffer significant damage, but the thick ash cover also hindered international relief operations.

Tonga authorities are planning to evacuate people in the outer islands – the area most affected by the volcanic eruption and tsunami with many houses destroyed.

Tonga is a Pacific island nation with 176 large and small islands, of which 36 are inhabited, with a population of more than 104,000 people.

Currently, the assessment of casualties and damage still faces many obstacles due to destroyed infrastructure and telecommunications systems being interrupted for at least several weeks.

The most intense volcanic eruption of the 21st century, like an `atomic bomb` in Tonga