Concerns about Tongan are mounting after the tsunami caused by the underwater volcano

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Pacific nations and humanitarian groups have been fighting to establish communications with Tonga after a tsunami erupted on Sunday after a tsunami cut off telephone and Internet connections, raising concerns for the island’s small nation.

An underwater volcano in Tonga erupted on Saturday, triggering tsunami warnings and evacuation orders off the coast of Tonga as well as several South Pacific islands as social media images of waves crashing into coastal homes.

Internet and telephone lines down local time around 6:40 p.m. on Saturday, leaving 105,000 island residents virtually out of touch.

“The images of the eruption of a volcano near Tonga are very disturbing,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, about 1,481 miles from Tonga, in a note on Instagram.

“Communication has been difficult due to the eruption, but our defense force team and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are working to determine what we need and how we can help,” he said.

The New Zealand Foreign Ministry said there were still no reports of injuries or deaths, but communications were limited.

Ardern will address the media at 15:00 New Zealand time (0200 GMT) to report the situation.

The Office for the Peace of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Fiji, said it was monitoring the situation and had no updates on the damage or casualties.

Tonga churches in New Zealand organized home prayers for their families.

“We pray that God will help our country at this difficult time. We hope everyone is safe …” said Maikeli Atiola, secretary of Wesleyan Church in Tuckland, Auckland, Radio New Zealand reported.

The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano has erupted regularly in recent decades, but the eruption on Saturday was so loud that it was heard by distant residents of Fiji and New Zealand.

Satellite images received a volcanic eruption on Saturday, the explosion sent smoke plumes into the air and about 12 miles above sea level.

The sky over Tonga was darkened by ashes.

The eruptions triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific, with the United States and Japan urging people on the Pacific coast to stay away from the coast.

Australia issued a tsunami warning for the coasts of New South Wales, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island, and said local coastal beaches in the state were closed. A tsunami alert was also issued in New Zealand.