There were fears of unreported deaths and injuries as the presence of volcanic ash on an airport runway delayed international aid to the Pacific island nation.
In this handout photo provided by the New Zealand Defense Force, an aerial view from a P3K2 Orion.
The images are from the same company.
The images were taken by the New Zealand Defence Force's (NZDF) aircraft and showed a village destroyed and many buildings missing on the nearby Atata island.
The death toll from last week's disaster may rise further according to a diplomat in Australia.
New Zealand's High Commission in Tonga said that local police have so far confirmed two deaths, one of whom was a British national, but the true casualty count remains unclear as the island's communications largely remained cut off from the rest of the world.
The New Zealand military tried to send in critical supplies to the small island nation but volcanic ash on the airport runway delayed the effort.
The low lying Ha'apai group of islands were hit by a wave estimated to be 10 meters high.
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Stephane Dujarric said that UN humanitarian officials reported significant infrastructural damages. There has been no contact from the Ha'apai Group of islands, and we are particularly concerned about two small low-lying islands, Mango and Fonoi. The U.N. had reported detecting a distress signal.
The country's vibrant green landscape was turned into a brownish gray moonscape by the volcanic ash. The single undersea cable connecting the island to the rest of the world is believed to have been severed by the disaster. Saturday's volcanic eruption may be the largest one seen in the 21st century. The eruption of the volcano caused a sonic boom that could be heard 6,000 miles away in Alaska.
The first deaths of the world were reported 6,000 miles away.
The death toll from the earthquake is feared to rise.
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