The strongest underwater volcanic eruption in this century has made Tonga, a South Pacific island country, a global focus.
On the 14th and 15th, the underwater volcano of Hongahaapai Island in Tonga erupted violently, triggering a rare tsunami.
The eruption on the 15th lasted for 8 minutes. A large amount of volcanic ash rushed into the sky with a huge roar, and the whole of Tonga was quickly covered by volcanic ash.
The tsunami caused by the eruption made Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, like the "surface of the moon" - volcanic ash clouded the sky, flooded some areas, and observed 1.2-meter-high tsunami waves.
Residents had to rush to the high terrain, and King Tupou VI of Tonga was evacuated from the palace.
On January 14, local time, a volcanic eruption occurred again on Hongahaapai Island in the South Pacific island country of Tonga, triggering a tsunami.
On the 15th, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said that a 1.2-meter-high tsunami wave was observed in Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga.
The picture shows the eruption of Tonga volcano taken by the Japanese meteorological satellite "Himawari-8".
How terrible is this disaster?
The eruption of the submarine volcano on Hongaha Apai Island is considered to be the largest volcanic eruption in 30 years, and the devastating tsunami caused by it is even more "once in a century".
Some media said that the power of the underwater volcanic eruption is comparable to 1,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs.
The tsunami affected half of the world, and tsunamis of more than 1 meter occurred in coastal areas such as Japan and California, which are thousands of miles away from the crater.
Some experts have warned that the current situation in Tonga is still very dangerous, and the crater where the incident occurred has awakened.
Periods of active eruption could last for weeks, with volcanic structures collapsing or triggering further tsunamis.
On January 16, local time, in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, a local resident observed the sea.
A tsunami warning has been issued for a coastal town in northeastern Japan after an underwater volcano erupted in Tonga.
However, due to the disaster, communications in Tonga are still limited.
Outer coastal areas remain isolated and it is expected to take two weeks to restore network communications.
Tonga has been in a state of "lost contact" for a long time, which will not only affect rescue and assistance, but also make it difficult to calm the dangling hearts of those overseas.
Many Tongan migrants say, "We can't do anything but pray".
From January 14 to January 15, 2022, the submarine volcano of Hongaha Apayi Island in Tonga, a South Pacific island country, erupted violently for two consecutive days and caused a tsunami.
The picture shows a satellite image taken 2 hours before the eruption of the volcano on January 15, 2022.
One of them is Taekwondo fighter Peeta Taufatofa, who is perhaps the most famous Tongan in the world.
Taoufa Tofa, who now lives in Australia, said on social media on the 16th that he has not heard from his father and family.
"I'm going to focus on what I can do now, and inform this through the Internet, asking for help from all sides."
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Taoufa Tofa appeared at the opening ceremony as the flag bearer of the Tonga delegation.
Taoufatofa, who entered with the national flag high, broke the rules when it came to attire - shirtless and smeared with coconut oil, and wearing a traditional Tongan dance dress.
His unique dress and sturdy physique made the world remember him.
On January 15, local time, the National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for the entire west coast of the United States following an undersea volcanic eruption in Tonga.
Representing Tonga in the Olympic Games has always been a dream of Taoufa Tofa, and he has been fighting for it for more than 20 years.
Before Rio, Taoufa Tofa had repeatedly failed to qualify for the Olympics.
Fortunately, this dream finally came true when he was 32 years old.
Taufatofa's "opening" career has only just begun.
The topless "Internet celebrity" Pita Taufatofa of the Rio Olympics is still serving as the flag bearer of the Tonga delegation this time.
In order to participate in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Taufatofa, a taekwondo player, began to teach himself cross-country skiing through video teaching and roller skating courses, and finally obtained the qualifications for the Winter Olympics as he wished, thus becoming a rare "double cultivation" in Olympic history. athlete.
At the opening ceremony, it was still that unique dress.
Tau Fatofa transformed the winter of Pyeongchang into the midsummer of Tonga.
Peeta Taufatofa was born in Australia in 1984 and is a Taekwondo athlete from Tonga.
As the two-time flag bearer of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, because of his appearance, Tonga, a Pacific island country with only more than 100,000 permanent residents, has attracted more people's attention.
After the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Taoufa Tofa began to try canoeing, which became his new goal for the Tokyo Olympics.
Although plans were put on hold due to a rib injury, Taufatofa eventually qualified for the taekwondo event at the Tokyo Olympics.
He once again entered the stadium holding the Tongan flag in his own unique way.
"Challenge, to overcome adversity, that's what it means for me to participate in the Olympics." Taufatofa wanted to use his own experience to tell a story, a story about struggle.
This is also one of the connotations of sports.
It is hoped that Taufatofa's spirit can inspire his compatriots who are in trouble.
Come on, Tonga!