People in Nuku'alofa, the capital city of Tonga, are starting to clean up volcanic ash but progress is slow due to a lack of working machinery, China Media Group (CMG) reported on Wednesday.

Fua'amotu International Airport, Tonga's main airport and international gateway, is still being cleared of volcanic ash. Buildings in coastal areas are severely damaged, and some roads are still blocked.

A New Zealand Air Force transport plane loaded with relief supplies such as food and water took off on Thursday morning from an air force base in Auckland and flew to Tonga.