Tonga eruption

The University of Miami and the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation report states the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Volcano last year was more powerful than the largest US nuclear test.

It involved the collaboration of scientists from numerous agencies including NASA, NIWA, and the Tonga Geological Service.

One of the co-authors, Auckland University Professor Shane Cronin, said the findings increasingly show what a monumental event the eruption was.

Initial reports suggested no mass casualties on the main island of Tongatapu, but two people were reported missing and the capital Nuku'alofa was badly damaged, as were resorts and homes along the island's western beaches, it said.

"Further volcanic activity cannot be ruled out," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in the update on Monday, reporting only minor injuries but emphasising that formal assessments, especially of the outer islands, had yet to be released with communications badly hit.

International NGO's including Save the Children will be lead by the UN Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs in a meeting today.

Save the Children Fiji chief executive Shairana Ali said they were planning on how best to manage and provide fresh drinking water food and psycho-social support .

"All the stakeholders are going to be discussing the respective plans and to come up with a collective response, not only for Fiji but for Tonga and to get an update from the ground to get an appropriate response."