Three of Tonga’s smaller islands badly damaged by tsunami

It is not clear yet what assistance Tonga needs or wants from the international community

An overview of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano in Tonga on December 24 (Maxar Technologies via AP)

Three of Tonga’s smaller islands suffered serious damage from tsunami waves, officials said, as a wider picture emerges of the destruction caused by the eruption of an undersea volcano near the Pacific archipelago nation.

Communications have been down throughout Tonga since the eruption on Saturday, but a ship made it to the outlying islands of Nomuka, Mango and Fonoifua on Wednesday, and reported back that few homes remain standing after settlements were hit by 49ft-high waves, Red Cross official Katie Greenwood said.