Before and after photos reveal devastation of Tonga volcanic eruption

In the moments before the eruption, large plumes of smoke could be seen rising from Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai. The explosion itself created enormous ash plumes that rose almost 20km into the sky, according accounts reported to the World Health Organization, which is helping coordinate relief efforts in the area.Tonga is an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean comprised of 176 islands of which 36 are inhabited.

i that prompted warnings from nations across the world. This included Pacific coastlines such as the U.S., where warnings were issued across the West Coast from Alaska through California. Authorities closer to the eruption are working to coordinate a response to the disaster with the full scale of the devastation wrought by the volcano still unclear.On Monday New Zealand's Red Cross reported that communication lines connecting Tonga to the world had been disrupted by the eruption, with no clear timeframe for restoring them.

A major concern is the potentially significant impacts on some of the outer lying islands that have been out of contact since the eruption. Greenwood said Tonga Red Cross teams will be on the ground supporting evacuations, providing first aid if needed, and distributing prepositioned relief supplies."Red Cross currently has enough relief supplies in the country to support 1,200 households with essential items such as tarpaulins, blankets, kitchen sets, shelter tool kits and hygiene kits," she said.

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