News

New Zealand sends flight to survey Tonga volcano damage

Published

2 years ago

17/01/2022

MNN

Pacific nations and aid agencies begin coordinating relief efforts in Tonga after a tsunami triggered by a massive volcanic eruption rocked the tiny island nation, causing significant damage.

New Zealand’s military has been able to send a surveillance flight to Tonga to assess the extent of the damage from a huge undersea volcanic eruption while Australia said initial reports suggested no mass casualties in the Pacific island nation from tsunami.

A New Zealand Air Force P-3K Orion aircraft left from Auckland on Monday to assist in an initial impact assessment of the area and low-lying islands, the New Zealand defence forces said on Twitter.

Red Cross said it was mobilising its regional network to respond to what it called the worst volcanic eruptions the Pacific has experienced in decades.

Australian authorities said their initial reports suggested no mass casualties in Tonga, but added there was “significant damage” to roads and bridges in the country.

“At this stage, fortunately, we have no reports of any mass casualties, which is obviously very good news. But there is still very limited, if any, information coming from the outer islands,” Zed Seselja, Minister for the Pacific, told broadcaster ABC.

Australia will send a surveillance flight on Monday to assess the damage, as Pacific nations and aid agencies began coordinating relief efforts.

Significant damage to boats and shops

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Sunday there had not yet been any official reports of injuries or deaths in Tonga, but cautioned that authorities hadn’t yet made contact with some coastal areas and smaller islands.

“Communication with Tonga remains very limited. And I know that is causing a huge amount of anxiety for the Tongan community here,” Ardern said.

She said there had been significant damage to boats and shops along the Tongan coastline. The capital, Nuku’alofa, was covered in a thick film of volcanic dust, Ardern said, contaminating water supplies and making fresh water a vital need.

Ardern said New Zealand was unable to send a surveillance flight over Tonga because the ash cloud was 63,000 feet high but they hoped to try again on Monday, followed by supply planes and navy ships.

One complicating factor to any international aid effort is that Tonga has so far managed to avoid any outbreaks of Covid-19.

Ardern said New Zealand’s military staff were all fully vaccinated and willing to follow any protocols established by Tonga.

Tonga begins cleaning efforts

A towering ash cloud had prevented the military from launching any flights earlier to the Pacific island nation.

People on Tonga described their country as looking like a moonscape as they began on Monday the task of cleaning up from the tsunami waves and ash fall caused by the eruption.

Communications with the island nation remained limited after the internet was cut soon after the eruption on Saturday evening.

There were no reports of injuries or deaths, although concerns remained for the fate of people on some of the smaller islands near the volcano.

Global cooling

Meanwhile, scientists said they didn’t think the eruption would have a significant impact on the Earth’s climate.

Huge volcanic eruptions can sometimes cause global cooling as sulfur dioxide is pumped into the stratosphere. But in the case of the Tonga eruption, initial satellite measurements indicated the amount of sulfur dioxide released would only have a tiny effect of perhaps 0.01 Celsius (0.02 Fahrenheit) global average cooling, said Alan Robock, a professor at Rutgers University.

Satellite images showed the spectacular undersea eruption on Saturday evening, with a plume of ash, steam and gas rising like a giant mushroom above the South Pacific waters.

A sonic boom could be heard as far away as Alaska and sent pressure shockwaves around the planet twice, altering atmospheric pressure that may have briefly helped clear out the fog in Seattle, according to the National Weather Service.

Large waves were detected as far as the Caribbean due to pressure changes generated by the eruption.

In Tonga it sent tsunami waves crashing across the shore and people rushing to higher ground.

With internet and phone lines down, friends and family members around the world were left anxiously trying to get in touch.

Government websites and other official sources remained without updates on Sunday afternoon.

‘Everyone just froze’

Aid agencies said thick ash and smoke had prompted authorities to ask people to wear masks and drink bottled water.

In a video posted on Facebook, Nightingale Filihia was sheltering at her family’s home from a rain of volcanic ash and tiny pieces of rock that turned the sky pitch black.

“It’s really bad. They told us to stay indoors and cover our doors and windows because it’s dangerous,” she said. “I felt sorry for the people. Everyone just froze when the explosion happened. We rushed home.”

Outside the house, people were seen carrying umbrellas for protection.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

News

Judgment in Yameen’s appeal slated for tomorrow

Published

7 hours ago

17/04/2024

High Court has scheduled the judgment in the appeal filed by former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom of his money laundering and bribery conviction in connection to the sale of V. Aarah for tourism development for Thursday.

The judgment will be delivered in the afternoon – however, no time has been specified on the High Court’s website.

Yameen, who served as Maldivian leader from 2013-2018, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for money laundering and bribery charges in connection to the sale of V. Aarah on December 26, 2022.

He was transferred from Maafushi Prison to his home in Male’ City on October 1, the day after President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, backed by Yameen, won the presidential election runoff. The then-president-elect had appealed for Yameen’s release to home from then-president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Short of a week into President Muizzu’s administration, Yameen left PPM, and initiated efforts to form a new party – the People’s National Front (PNF).

Maldives Correctional Service later eased the terms of his home confinement, to allow him to leave the house for exercise and other such purposes.

Yameen has repeatedly violated the terms of his home confinement by attending political events despite which no action has been taken against him by Corrections.

National Integrity Commission is presently investigating Corrections failure to take action against Yameen.

Freeing Yameen has been one of President Muizzu’s main electoral pledges. He has strongly criticized President Muizzu and his administration for his continued home confinement.

President Muizzu has recently remarked that he remains true to his pledge. Affirming he does not influence the judiciary, the President said Yameen’s independence remains in the hands of the judiciary.

Source(s): sun.mv

News

FDC’s head says additional MVR 454.5m needed to complete flats

Published

7 hours ago

17/04/2024

Hamdhan Shakeel, the managing director of Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC), said on Wednesday that the state corporation needs an additional injection of MVR 454.5 million to complete work on the 4,000 social housing units being developed in Hulhumale’ Phase II.

In a post on X on Wednesday morning, Hamdhan said the scope of the project decided by former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration does not include key services and facilities.

According to Hamdhan, this includes the connection of the towers to the power grid, security systems, GPON network to enable internet and other media connection for the towers and tenants, waste disposal systems, and landscaping works.

“An additional injection of MVR 454.5 million is required for the completion of this additional works left out by the previous government,” he said.

Hamdhan said the FDC is working with the incumbent administration to secure financing for the additional works.

He also highlighted on the difference in the speed of the project under the two administrations.

According to Hamdhan, a total of 216 slabs were casted over a period 22 months under the previous administration, while a total 192 slabs were casted during the past four months.

“Through optimization of the construction schedule and facilitation of resources and other services, we have increased the average rate of construction from 10 slabs per month to 48 slabs on average per month,” he said.

The 4,000 housing units are the first flats built under the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ housing scheme launched by Solih’s administration.

The units come in two types; two-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom apartments.

Source(s): sun.mv

News

MPS begins Operation Blue Tide 2024 for election security

Published

7 hours ago

17/04/2024

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) has announced the commencement of “Operation Blue Tide 2024” to safeguard security ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election.

The operation is a pivotal component of the commitment of MPS to ensuring security throughout the parliamentary election. MPS assured that police presence will be maintained across all Maldivian islands until the conclusion of the election, with a strategic system in place to allocate additional personnel where necessary. Police units have been dispersed across all regions.

As part of Operation Blue Tide, MPS disclosed that a team embarked for the southern atolls on March 16, while another set out for the northern atolls on March 17. Chief Superintendent of Police Abdulla Shareef has been designated as the operation’s commander, with Superintendent of Police Ahmed Muslim appointed as deputy commander.

Source(s): PsmNews