‘Guilt-ridden’ husband of British charity worker killed by the Tongan tsunami while trying to save her dogs as he clung to a tree ‘blames himself’ for her death, her brother reveals
- Angela Glover, 50, died late Saturday when tsunami hit island of Tongatapu
- Husband James, who was with her at the time, survived by clinging to a tree
- ‘Guilt-ridden’ James blames himself for Angela’s death, her brother has said’
- James was the one who found her body during search of the island on Monday
The husband of a British charity worker killed by a tsunami in Tonga while he clung to a tree to survive has said he is ‘guilt ridden’ over her death.
Angela Glover, originally from Brighton, was killed late Saturday when 50ft waves triggered by the explosion of a nearby volcano smashed into the west of Tongatapu island, where she had been house-sitting with husband James.
Nick Eleini, Angela’s brother, says he has spoken with James since he discovered Angela’s body during a search on Monday – saying he is ‘shattered’ by her passing and ‘blames himself’ for her death.
It is thought that Angela, who ran a dog shelter on the island, died while trying to save her five adopted pets. Only one has been found alive since the tsunami.
Angela Glover, 50 (left), was killed when a tsunami hit Tonga late Saturday, while husband James (right) survived by clinging to a tree
‘Guilt ridden’ James was the one who discovered Angela’s body during a search on Monday, and now ‘blames himself’ for her death
Mr Eleini told BBC Breakfast: ‘I was able to speak to James last night. He’s been able to communicate with us via satellite phone from the British Embassy. He’s safe, he has all his basic needs covered, he has shelter, food, water and money.
‘I don’t believe he sustained any serious injuries. He is naturally just shattered and guilt-ridden as to the events that took place. He’s quite naturally blaming himself for not being able to save Angela.
‘It doesn’t matter how many times we tell him he has nothing to reproach himself for. He is carrying an incredible burden of guilt at the moment.’
Mr Glover reported that damage to the island is bad, with the full extent of it becoming ‘quite apparent’ in the coming days.
‘I think there is going to be a major humanitarian disaster unfolding there. I hope not, but there’s a lot of outlying islands in Tonga that haven’t been reached that people still need to get to,’ he said.
‘As far as the main island where James and Angela were living, I believe is quite flat, so the wave from the tsunami would have extended quite a way over the land, particularly on that north and west coast.
‘A lot of the infrastructure is above ground; that has probably been completely destroyed.’
South Pacific Animal Welfare (Spaw), which worked with Mrs Glover in her bid to rescue dogs in Tonga, said the news of her death was ‘heart-breaking’.
Founder Karen Schade said in a statement: ‘Angela touched so many lives, both human and animal, through the selfless work she did for the Tonga Animal Welfare Society, which she co-founded, and in volunteering during Spaw clinics in the kingdom. Words cannot adequately express what her loss means to us.
‘Angela was one of a kind. She loved animals, especially dogs, more than most people are capable of. She and James are part of our Spaw whanau (extended family) and our deepest condolences go out to James, their whanau and friends.’
Including Mrs Glover, the death toll from the disaster now stands at three after the Tongan government said Tuesday that a a 65-year-old woman was killed on Mango Island and a 49-year-old man died on Nomuka Island.
‘A number’ of people have also been injured, the prime minister’s office said without putting an exact figure on it, declaring the eruption an ‘unprecedented disaster’.
An entire village on Mango Island has been swept away by the tsunami, the government said today, with just two buildings left standing on Fonoifua Island. Namuka Island also has ‘extensive damage’.
Rescue operations including evacuations of Mango, Fonoifua and Atata islands are underway, with fresh water shipped out after local supplies were contaminated by falling ash.
Satellite images show how an entire village on the west side of Tongatapu – where Angela was staying at the time she died – was swept away by the tsunami
An image taken from a New Zealand military aircraft reveals how one of Tonga’s islands has been turned completely grey by dust falling from the volcano
Tsunami waves reaching up to 50ft hit the Ha’apia island group and the west coast of Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu, the prime minister’s office said.
On the western coast of the main island, 56 houses were completely or seriously damaged and residents moved to evacuation centres.
Mango is about 43 miles from the Hunga Tonga volcano, which sent tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean when it erupted with a blast heard 1,430 miles away in New Zealand.
A search and rescue operation began on Sunday for Atata island, which has a population of about 100 people.
‘Challenges to sea and air transportation remain due to damage sustained by the wharves and the ash that is covering the runways,’ it said. Some limited communications had been made with satellite phones, but other areas remain cut off.
The Tongan navy had deployed with health teams and water, food and tents to the Ha’apai islands, with more aid sent on Tuesday due to the severity of the damage observed on Mango, Fonoifua and Namuka islands, it said.
Thick ash on runways is making it difficult for New Zealand to send drinking water and other supplies to the island, the military has said.
The country is also sending two navy ships to Tonga on Tuesday and has pledged an initial one million New Zealand dollars (£500,000) towards recovery efforts.
New Zealand’s Acting High Commissioner for Tonga, Peter Lund, has said there are reports of three people having died so far, but this has yet to be confirmed.
The scale of the damage is not yet known, but Mr Lund told a New Zealand TV broadcaster that there is ‘quite a lot of damage on the Nuku’alofa waterfront’.
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