Wellington (New Zealand): A thick layer of ash on an airport runway has delayed the delivery of aid to the Pacific island nation of Tonga. Tonga was hit by a massive volcanic eruption and a tsunami under the sea. New Zealand’s military is currently shipping most essential drinking water and other supplies but said the plane would be delayed by at least a day due to ash accumulated on the runway.
The soaring pile of ash since Saturday’s eruption has prevented even earlier flights from reaching here. New Zealand is also sending two naval ships to Tonga which will leave on Tuesday. It has also committed to provide an initial amount of 1 million New Zealand dollars, or $ 680,000, under relief and redevelopment efforts. Australia has also sent a naval vessel from Sydney to Brisbane to complete the preparations for support missions if needed.
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At the same time, according to reports from the Peruvian capital Lima, an underwater volcanic eruption caused by unusually high waves caused an oil spill on the Peruvian coast, but officials said on Monday that the leak was controlled within a few hours and the area The clean-up work is in progress.
Peru’s Civil Defense Institute said in a press release that a ship was being loaded with oil at the La Pampilla refinery on the Pacific coast on Sunday when strong waves rocked the vessel and caused an oil spill. The government did not say how many gallons of oil were spilled. (agency)