New photos show Tonga tsunami devastation as some phone lines restored

Fresh pictures of the devastation in Tonga have emerged as some phone services are reestablished five days after an enormous volcano eruption and subsequent tsunami cut off contact with the outside world.

A series of photos tweeted by the Tongan consulate late on Wednesday show trees and buildings flattened and covered in ash. Others show debris piled up outside homes and damaged vehicles.

Kupu said a few villages on the western side of Tonga were very badly hit.

The plane had been on standby until ash was cleared from the international airport in Tonga. New Zealand has also dispatched two ships carrying supplies including 250,000 litres of water, expected to arrive on Friday, while Australia is sending a naval vessel and said it had two Royal Australian air force planes ready to depart.

The United Nations said that about 84,000 people, more than 80% of the population, had been badly affected by the disaster.

Three people were confirmed to have died in the disaster.