Angela Glover has not been since the tsunami hit. Photo / Supplied
Angela Glover has not been since the tsunami hit. Photo / Supplied
The brother of a British aid worker missing in the wake of the devastating eruption and tsunami says he fears the worst as he endures an "excruciating" wait for news.
Angela Glover, 50, runs an animal rescue charity on Tonga's main island of Tongatapu and operates a tattoo business with her husband James.
The pair had reportedly returned to a property they were house-sitting on Tongatapu's western coast when the tsunami struck.
While her husband was able to cling onto a tree, the surging waters took Glover and her dogs.
Glover's niece went public with an appeal on a Facebook page for expats in Tonga.
"My uncle held on to a tree but my Auntie and dogs were washed away," she wrote.
"My uncle still hasn't been able to find my Auntie. If anyone has any information please reach out."
Angela Glover runs an animal charity on the island. Photo / Angela Glover/Instagram
One News reported social media posts from friends and family sought information and claimed Angela's mother in Hove, England, had received a call from her son-in-law with the devastating news.
"Nothing confirmed other than at this stage, our beautiful girl is missing," one person wrote.
"We are hoping and praying that amongst the devastation she is found."
Glover's brother Nick Eleini gave an emotional interview to the UK's Guardian newspaper, telling them that the family feared the worst.
"What are we, 48 hours later? I don't think this is going to have a happy ending," Eleini said, as he flew back to the UK from his base in Sydney to be with his mother, Jennifer.
"James was able to cling on to a tree for quite a long time, but Angela was unable to do so and was washed away with the dogs, I think four or five dogs.
"James went back to their proper house on the south coast of the island, but Angela didn't turn up," Eleini told The Guardian.
One of the dogs has been found, but Angela hasn't been found.
"It's excruciating. I can't even believe the words are coming out of my mouth, to be honest."
Angela Glover with husband James. Photo / Angela Glover/Instagram
A friend who knew her when he lived in Tonga told the Herald that Glover and her husband are well respected in the community.
"It is clear to all who know Angela that her main purpose for living in Tonga is to care for and advocate for neglected animals on the island, especially the dogs," the friend said.
"Angela rescued, rehomed, and gave medical attention to countless stray dogs in Tonga over the years. She also helps educate the public about how to keep their pets healthy."
Today a Royal NZ Air Force Orion left for Tonga to assess the damage caused by the mammoth volcanic eruption over the weekend - and determine exactly what help the island kingdom needs.
The NZ Defence Force announced early this morning that an Orion aircraft had left for Tonga, from Auckland, and would make an initial assessment of the area and low-lying islands on arrival.
"We will provide more information once the situation and ways we can help become clearer. Our thoughts are with those who have been affected at this time."
The eruption and resulting tsunami waves have cut power and communication to Tonga and water has been contaminated by the ash from the massive explosion of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai undersea volcano, 65km from the Tongan capital, Nuku'alofa.
So far, there have been no confirmed injuries or casualties, although there are reports of at least two people missing.
Auckland's Tongan community is desperate for news of loved ones back home and many spent yesterday in vain trying to contact them after the eruption rocked the island kingdom.
After conflicting reports, it now seems almost certain that the undersea eruption over the weekend did cause a break in the cable that connects Tonga to the outside world - and that it will likely take around two weeks or longer to repair.
And that timeline could be stretched further because of the proximity of the break to the undersea volcano, and the danger of further eruptions.
On Sunday, testing indicated there could in fact be a break, but it was not clear if it was on land, which would take days to repair, or out at sea - the worst-case scenario - which could mean weeks before it could be reconnected.
This morning, Southern Cross Cable executive Craige Sloots told the Herald that "Fintel and TCL [Tonga Cable Ltd] undertook testing yesterday afternoon which seems to confirm a likely cable break around 37km offshore from Tonga".
In the meantime, the dust cloud from the volcano means that even satellite phone and internet connections are intermittent.
The best-case scenario - and one that seemed possible at first - was that the fibre was intact, and the internet outage was caused by power outages that disabled the cable.
