The Australian Defence Force has been deployed to assist with humanitarian aid delivery in the South Pacific island nation of Tonga, following the weekend's devastating tsunami.
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Landing Helicopter Dock HMAS Adelaide left Sydney on Monday, while RAAF P-8A Poseidon Aircraft will be sent to conduct damage assessment over the tsunami-affected areas.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne yesterday said Australia would be working closely with the Government of Tonga to support recovery.
"Today we have been able to deploy a Royal Australian Air Force P8-A Poseidon Aircraft to undertake surveillance activity over the affected area, working very closely with New Zealand to work on that surveillance," she told reporters during a visit to Nowra on Monday.
The Tongan Government has warned the death toll is likely to grow as the recovery efforts begin.
Among those on the confirmed casualties list is British charity worker Angela Glover. It's believed Ms Glover was attempting to rescue her dogs from the rising tides when she perished.
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Re-establishing communications with the island nation has proven difficult with The deputy head of mission at Tonga's high commission in Australia, Curtis Tu'ihalangingie, confirming there could be weeks of silence.
"Communication is on locally, so people can call one another in Tonga, but can't all internationally, we still have limited access to Tonga," he told ABC Radio on Tuesday.
"We still don't have a direct communication with our government."
All Australians have been accounted for in Tonga following the disaster.