On January 14, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano erupted near Tonga, sending ash, steam and gas up to 10.5 miles (17 km) into the air.
On Tuesday, Tonga’s government reported at least three deaths: two local residents and a British woman.
A fiber-optic cable that connects Tonga to the outside world was severed in the eruption and the nation now faces “weeks of digital darkness” until it’s repaired.
Gray ash coating much of Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu, has contaminated water that many people rely on to drink.
