Tongan athlete and Olympian Pita Taufatofua is still waiting to hear from his family in Ha’apai.
His father is the governor of Ha’apai and was travelling back from Tongatapu when the eruption happened.
Taufatofua is currently living and training in Brisbane, Australia and is co-ordinating a relief effort from there.
Tonga's Pita Taufatofua made headline during the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2018 Winter Games. Photo: AFP
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“It's been a tough time for Tongans all over the world, we've been completely cut off in terms of communication with Tonga.
“And the update seems to be that that's from a large submarine cable that services Tonga has been severed, whether that's due the volcano due to the tsunami, or both,” he says.
Information is very patchy, he says.
“There was an update from the New Zealand High Commissioner, Peter Lund, who said that there's a layer of ash all over all over Tongatapu.
“A few people are missing. But none of that is confirmed as to how many missing how many passed away.”
He heard the news when he was out fishing, he says.
“I was out sitting in a fishing boat. I had a line in the water and then I just for some reason checked my phone and I saw the images of the tsunami hitting.
“So, what happened was there was a few images, a couple of videos that got out before or the communication was cut.
“And I just thought oh no, this is this is devastating. This is going to be … there's going to be a whole lot of damage.”
He hasn’t heard from his family in four days, he says and not knowing the extent of the damage is the worst, he says.
“I think it's probably the not knowing which is affecting, most people.”
The fundraiser he set up yesterday is already drawing in donations, he says.
“And so far we've managed to raise a fair amount of money and you know, it's only just kicking off, it's only just getting started.
“We were waiting on communications to open so that we can do a needs assessment to see where the funds are best to be used.
“And at the moment we don't have an exact answer for that.”
Experience of cyclones suggests the damage could be extensive, he says.
“But our guess is that if cyclones are anything to go by, then damage will be in the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.”
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