Australia says initial reports suggest no mass casualties in Tonga from tsunami

This combination of satellite images taken by Himawari-8, a Japanese weather satellite operated by Japan Meteorological Agency and released by National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), shows an undersea volcano eruption of the Pacific nation of Tonga. Credit: AP/PTI Photo

Australian authorities on Monday said their initial reports suggested no mass casualties in Tonga after an underwater volcano triggered a tsunami, but added there was "significant damage" to roads and bridges in the Pacific island nation.

"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.

Also read: Why the volcanic eruption in Tonga was so violent, and what to expect next

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

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