Australia steps up efforts to aid tsunami-hit Tonga

An underwater volcano off Tonga erupted on Saturday, triggering a tsunami on the shores of Tonga and cutting off phone and internet lines for the entire island.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne pledged to provide support for Tonga as early as possible, adding that a Royal Australian Airforce P8 had been deployed to conduct a surveillance over the affected areas.

There are no official reports of injuries or deaths in Tonga as yet but communications are still limited and outlying coastal areas remain cut off.