New images showing the destruction left by the eruption and subsequent tsunami in Tonga

The photos that come from Tonga reveal the scale of damage generated by tsunami waves triggered by an underwater volcano.

LOOK: Shocking videos of the tsunami in Tonga, from inside the wave and from space

The images show the Pacific islands covered in a layer of volcanic ash, while in coastal areas, the waves are seen toppling trees and destroying buildings.

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Saturday’s tsunami left at least three people dead (two locals and a British citizen) and destroyed communications.

International telephone links are said to have been restored, but repairing a severed inter-oceanic submarine cable can take weeks.

The island of Tongatapu was covered in a layer of volcanic ash. (CONSULATE OF THE KINGDOM OF TONGA IN THE EUROPEAN UNION).

That means Tonga remains largely isolated from the outside world, with little information available on the scale of the destruction.

The eruption and subsequent tsunami destroyed trees and infrastructure. (CONSULATE OF THE KINGDOM OF TONGA IN THE EUROPEAN UNION).

But the new images, released by the Tongan consulate in the UK, show cars, roads and buildings in the capital, Nuku’alofa, covered in a layer of ash.

The dust has prevented humanitarian aid planes from landing and delivering much-needed food and drinking water.

The photos also show the aftermath of the tsunami waves, described by the Tongan government as an “unprecedented disaster” in the coastal areas of the island.

Debris is strewn across the coastline after waves over a meter high hit Tonga.

Coastlines on the islands of Tonga suffered severe damage. (CONSULATE OF THE KINGDOM OF TONGA IN THE EUROPEAN UNION).

Meanwhile, aerial photos taken by the New Zealand Air Force indicate that several populations on islands that have not yet been reached have disappeared.

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