A Planet SkySat image shows a plume of smoke rising from the underwater volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai days before its eruption on January 15, in Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, Tonga, January 07, 2022. Planet Labs PBC/via REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines — No Filipinos have been reported killed or injured in the eruption of an underwater volcano off Tonga, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.
“As of 18 January, the Philippine Embassy in Wellington has received no reports of casualties or injuries in the Filipino community in Tonga and Samoa,” the DFA said in a statement.
“The Philippine Embassy in Wellington is continuing to exhaust efforts to contact Filipinos in Tonga primarily through the use of its emergency satellite phone. Indications show that it might take two (2) weeks before the communications system is fully restored in Tonga,” it added.
The DFA said it continues to closely monitor the situation in Tonga through its embassy to ensure the continued safety of Filipinos there.
The Association of Filipinos in Tonga Inc. has also informed the Philippine Embassy in Wellington that “every Filipino citizen in the Kingdom of Tonga has been accounted for and that there are currently no casualties,” according to the DFA.
“Internet and international calls are still currently unavailable,” the DFA noted.
“As such, the Association of Filipinos in Tonga Inc. has requested the Philippine Embassy in Wellington to let their families know that our kababayans are safe,” it added.
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