Debris in the aftermath of the natural disaster in Tonga
(Picture: AP)Tonga’s main internet connection has finally been restored more than five weeks after a colossal volcano eruption wreaked devastation and severed communications.
Four people were killed and dozens of homes destroyed after the January 15 tsunami, which also severed undersea internet cables supplying the island nation.
Among those helping with the reconnection was entrepreneur Elon Musk, said the chair of the state-owned company which owns the cable, Samiuela Fonua.
"It’s a huge relief when you know things have come to the end and are working well," Fonua told The Associated Press. "It’s one step forward for the country."
Fonua said a repair crew replaced about 56 miles of cable that had been damaged by the tsunami, meaning efforts will now switch to fixing a second cable which connects some outer islands to the main island.
Tongan officials said that Elon Musk’s SpaceX company had also been helping restore connections for Tonga’s remote villages through its network of low-orbit satellites called Starlink.
Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni said that Musk’s terminals would be distributed to the outlying islands worst hit by the tsunami.
He said: “It is rather paradoxical for a devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami to bring to our shores the latest in satellite and communications technology.
“Elon Musk probably didn’t know much about Tonga until January 15, but gave generously.”
Mr Sovaleni said 85 per cent of Tongans had been impacted by the volcano and resulting tsunami, with damage mounting to 20 per cent of gross domestic product.
Among the fatalities was British woman Angela Glover, who died trying to rescue dogs from her animal charity.
Tonga has also been grappling with its first outbreak of Covid, with some cases being linked to aid ships which arrived in the country after the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano erupted.
The outbreak has grown to more than 250 cases but so far there have been no reported deaths.
The country of 105,000 people has begun easing some virus restrictions after initially imposing a lockdown.
Around 90 per cent of people aged 12 and over have had at least two doses of a Covid vaccine, according to government data.
