TONGA MAKES CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD 5 DAYS AFTER TSUNAMI

On Thursday, Tongans were able to make phone contact with their relatives and the outside world for the first time in five days, five days after a catastrophic volcano explosion and tsunami shut the Pacific island nation off altogether.

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted on Saturday, killing at least three people and sending tsunami waves across the Pacific.

Telephone services between Tonga and the rest of the world were restored late Wednesday, though the owner of the archipelago's lone underwater communications cable estimates it would take a month or more to restore full internet connectivity.

Marian Kupu, a local journalist in Nuku'alofa, told Reuters that Tongans were cleaning up the dust but were worried about running out of drinking water.

"Each residence has its own water supply tank, but most of them are packed with dust, making it unsafe to drink," Ms Kupu explained.

Ms Kupu stated that a few settlements on Tonga's western coast had been severely impacted.

"I won't say we expect more deaths," she continued, "but the government is attempting to fly to the other islands to check on them as we speak."

"I can say maybe we can survive for the next few weeks," she remarked when asked if there was enough food. "But I'm not sure about water."

Meanwhile, Tongans living overseas were urgently calling home to check on their loved ones.

"Today, there's a breath of relief because we can interact with our loved ones back home," said John Pulu, a Tongan television and radio star living in Auckland.

"We're breathing and sleeping a little better," he added, adding that he had spoken with his mother and family in Nuku'alofa, who are all safe and sound.