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Tonga trying to clean up after tsunami and volcano

Tonga Tsunami - Level 0

Tonga is cleaning up after the tsunami and volcano. The undersea volcano erupted on Saturday. It sent tsunami waves to Japan. It also destroyed large parts of Tonga. A lot of the cleanup work cannot start because of the ash. It buried buildings and is blocking many roads.

Tonga called the disasters a one-of-a-kind event. The volcano cut Tonga's Internet cable. Engineers are trying to fix this. It is difficult to get aid into the country because of damage to the airport. Tonga shut its borders in 2020 to keep COVID-19 out. It is worried that aid workers could bring a "tsunami of COVID-19" into the country.

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Tonga Tsunami - Level 1

Tonga is cleaning up after it was hit by a tsunami and covered in volcanic ash. The undersea volcano erupted on Saturday. Experts say it was the world's biggest eruption in 30 years. It sent tsunami waves to Japan. It also destroyed large parts of Tonga. Ash is making it difficult for normal life to return. A lot of the work cannot go ahead until the ash has gone. It buried buildings and is blocking many of the country's roads.

Tonga called the disasters a one-of-a-kind event. They have badly affected life on the island. The volcano cut Tonga's underwater Internet cable. Engineers are trying to fix this. It is difficult to fly aid into the country because of damage to the airport. Tonga shut its borders in 2020 to keep COVID-19 out. It was "covid-free" before the tsunami. It now fears international aid workers could bring a "tsunami of COVID-19" into the country.

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Tonga Tsunami - Level 2

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A cleanup has begun in Tonga after the island was hit by a tsunami and covered in volcanic ash at the weekend. The undersea volcano erupted on Saturday. Experts believe it was the world's biggest eruption in 30 years. It sent tsunami waves across to Japan and the U.S. It also destroyed large parts of Tonga. Islanders are now trying to restore their normal life. However, the ash is making this difficult. A lot of the recovery work cannot go ahead until the ash has been cleared. It has buried buildings and is also blocking many of the country's roads.

Tonga's government called the disasters "unprecedented". It said they have badly affected life on the island. There is no Internet because the eruption cut Tonga's underwater Internet cable. Engineers are trying to fix it. It is also difficult to fly aid into the country because of damage to the airport. Tonga is worried that rescuers may bring COVID-19 into the country. Tonga shut its borders in 2020. It said it was "covid-free" before the tsunami. It now fears international aid workers could bring a "tsunami of COVID-19" into the country.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Tonga Tsunami - Level 3

A cleanup operation has begun in Tonga after the island nation was hit by a tsunami and covered in volcanic ash at the weekend. The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai undersea volcano erupted on Saturday. Experts believe it was the world's biggest volcanic eruption in over 30 years. It sent tsunami waves across the Pacific to Japan and the U.S. coast. It also destroyed large parts of Tonga. Islanders are now trying to restore services and normal life to the country. However, the ash is making this difficult. A lot of the rescue and recovery work cannot go ahead until the ash has been cleared. It has buried many buildings. It is also blocking many of the country's roads.

Tonga's government called the eruption from the volcano and the tsunami "unprecedented". It said the twin disasters have severely affected life on the island. There is no Internet because the only underwater cable connecting Tonga to the World Wide Web was cut by the eruption. Engineers are trying to restore full communications. It is also difficult to fly aid into the country because the airport is damaged. Tonga's government is worried that rescue efforts may bring COVID-19 into the country. Tonga shut its borders to international arrivals in 2020. It said it was "covid-free" before the tsunami. It now fears international aid workers could bring a "tsunami of COVID-19" into the country.

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