Sharjah24 -AFP: A Covid-19 outbreak on an Australian warship threatened to disrupt Tonga eruption aid efforts Tuesday, as survivors of the deadly volcanic blast described how they fled with only the clothes on their backs.
The January 15 eruption generated huge tsunami waves and blanketed the Pacific kingdom in toxic ash when it obliterated an uninhabited island with explosive forces more powerful than a nuclear bomb.
Australia has led international relief efforts, rushing to get water and humanitarian supplies to the nation of 100,000.
But officials in Canberra said 23 Covid-19 cases had been detected among the crew of the warship HMAS Adelaide, which is steaming towards the capital Nuku'alofa laden with aid.
Tonga is one of the few places in the world that remains Covid-free and Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the relief effort would not be allowed to jeopardise that status.
Dutton said the ship would remain at sea while discussions were held with Tongan authorities to decide whether the crew would attempt "contactless" delivery of the much-needed supplies.
"We're not going to put the Tongan population at risk, but at the same time we want to deliver aid as quickly as possible," he told Sky News Australia.
New Zealand, France, Japan and China have also contributed to relief efforts in the wake of an event the Tonga government has described as an "unprecedented disaster".
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