Thank God, The Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Says Six Citizens In Tonga Are Safe

Aerial photo of Tonga after the eruption and tsunami. (Wikimedia Commons/NZ Defense Force)

JAKARTA - Good news has come from Tonga, where an Indonesian citizen (WNI) who was there, has been successfully contacted and confirmed to be safe from the underwater volcano eruption and tsunami that hit the country.

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano sent a tsunami wave across the Pacific Ocean when it erupted with an audible explosion 2.300 km (1.430 miles) away in New Zealand on January 15.

The volcanic eruption caused a cluster of islands in Tonga to be covered in volcanic ash and a 15 meter high tsunami wave hit the west coast of Tongatapu, 'Eua, and Ha'apai islands. A preliminary damage assessment is being carried out by the National Emergency Management Committee (NEMC) of the Government of Tonga.

Regarding the conditions in Tonga, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ensures that all Indonesian citizens there are safe. The number also increased, from the initial mention of five to six people.

"Initially, it was reported that there were five people, but the latest information from the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington is that there is one additional Indonesian citizen, so a total of six Indonesian citizens are safe in Tonga," said Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Judha Nugraha, in a virtual press statement Thursday, January 20.

"They are Indonesian citizens on behalf of Thomas Egbert (contact person for the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington in Tonga), three crew members, while the information for two other people is still being investigated," continued Judha.

On the same occasion, Judha also reminded the importance of self-report for Indonesian citizens who are abroad to the Indonesian Embassy or representatives of the Republic of Indonesia abroad. He said that there were five Indonesian citizens at the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington.

Meanwhile, regarding the possibility of sending humanitarian aid from Indonesia to Tonga, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, said that until now, the situation in Tonga was still being investigated, as well as discussions about the assistance to be provided.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still investigating the situation on the ground. It is still under discussion whether we will assist in the planning or reconstruction stages in Tonga," he said.