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Natural disasters

Tongans' phone service partially restored after tsunami

Full internet connectivity likely to take at least month to bring back

Relief supplies for Tonga are prepared by the Australian Red Cross, in Brisbane, Australia, on Jan. 19. (Carolyn Varley/Australian Red Cross/Handout via Reuters)

Tongans could finally make phone contact with their families and the outside world on Thursday five days after a massive volcanic eruption and tsunami completely cut off the Pacific island nation.

The explosion of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, which has killed at least three people and sent tsunami waves across the Pacific, knocked out communications of about 105,000 people on Saturday.

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