| HotSpots H2O: As Dust Settles in Tonga After Volcanic Eruption, Drinking Water Now the ‘Biggest Life-Saving Issue’
Five days after a volcanic eruption and tsunami, the Pacific island nation of Tonga has the look of an antique photograph.
Its tropical vegetation, once vibrant in the spray of the sea, is covered in a layer of ash. Tree trunks lie defeated on the forest floor. Building debris litters the landscape, a sepia painting of detritus and upturned roots.
On Sunday afternoon, just 40 miles off its coast, a powerful undersea eruption shook the country — exploding, scientists estimate, with the force of hundreds of Hiroshima bombs. The impact sent 50-foot waves smashing against the archipelago’s small islands while nearly 400,000 lightning bolts crackled overhead in the 12 hours after the eruption.
Now that the dust has settled, drinking water is the top concern.
Volcanic ash, along with ocean water from the tsunami, has polluted the drinking water of tens of thousands of people.
The United Nations has called drinking water the “biggest life-saving issue” on the islands. Red Cross officials warn that public health issues could soon follow.
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