Families in limbo as search is paused

More than 24 hours after New Zealand’s White Island volcano erupted, families around the world are still waiting for answers about their loved ones, with the island deemed too dangerous to search.

Thirteen people are dead or missing, but on-island recovery efforts are on hold as scientists say the volcano has a 50% chance of erupting again within the next 24 hours.

Police want to deploy drones to measure toxic gas levels in the island’s atmosphere and determine whether it is safe to return, but windy conditions have so far prevented this.

“We can never say 100%, but I would strongly suggest that there is no-one that has survived on the island,” deputy commissioner John Tims said.

Among the 47 people caught on the island during the sudden eruption were 24 tourists from Australia, nine from the US, two from Britain, two from China, four from Germany and one from Malaysia, as well as five locals. There are 34 confirmed survivors, with 27 receiving treatment in New Zealand hospitals for burns to more than 71% of their bodies.

Families of some missing tourists and guides say they have not yet received any news from the authorities.

Adelaide man Brian Dallow said he is desperately concerned about his son Gavin, daughterin-law Lisa, and her 15-year-old daughter, Zoe Hosking.

“All we know at the moment is they were on the island and they’ve been confirmed as missing,” he said. “As far as we know they didn’t get back on the ship last night. We’ve been in touch with just about everybody on this earth I think we registered with foreign affairs, we registered with the Red Cross ... We registered with everybody.”

Also among those missing is New Zealander Tipene Maangi, a tour guide in his early 20s, whose family are holding out hope he is still alive.

“They have said that those that are on the island there are no survivors, and we are not sure if our nephew is over there on the island or if he is in one of the hospitals,” his aunt, Jaqueline, told TVNZ.

“So we are hopeful that he’s one of them that’s in the hospitals and we will soon know. We are scared and are emotional and some of us do want to fall apart, but it’s not really an option. We have to stay strong.”

New Zealand officials said they are doing everything possible to hasten recovery efforts and support families.

“We absolutely believe that everyone that could be taken from the island yesterday were rescued at the time of the evacuation,” Tims told reporters in Wellington.