NZ police launch probe into volcano deaths
Aerial survey shows ‘no signs of life’
WELLINGTON: New Zealand police said yesterday that they will launch an investigation after a volcano off the country’s North Island erupted without warning a day earlier, killing five people and leaving eight others missing and presumed dead.
Of the 47 people on or near the volcanic White Island at the time of the eruption, officials said 31 are still being treated for injuries
— the majority of which are critical — in hospitals across the country. Three were well enough to be discharged overnight.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in the morning that it is likely as many as three of the dead are Australians. Australians accounted for roughly half of the group of mostly tourists who were caught up in the early afternoon eruption.
Police said in a statement that they will conduct an investigation into the deaths of individuals on White Island on behalf of the coroner. Although police previously said they would investigate the criminal responsibility of the deaths, they have since said “it is too early” for such an investigation.
White Island, an uninhabited island roughly 50 kilometres off the North Island coast, is New Zealand’s most active cone volcano and a popular tourist destination, with over 10,000 people visiting each year through daily tours of the site operated by White Island Tours.
But in the weeks preceding the deadly eruption, the privately owned island had shown increased volcanic activity.
In November, New Zealand’s geological hazard monitoring programme, GeoNet, raised the island’s volcanic alert to level 2, which is associated with eruptions of steam, gas, mud and rocks that can occur with little or no warning.
Following the eruption, the alert level has been raised to 3.
Earlier yesterday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also raised the issue of whether tourists should have been able to visit an active and unpredictable volcano.
“There will be bigger questions in relation to this event. These questions must be asked, and they must be answered,” Ms Ardern said in a speech to parliament.
White Island, also known as Whakaari in the local indigenous Maori language, erupted at 2.11pm local time on Monday. Authorities understand that two explosions occurred one after another in quick succession.
After unstable seismic conditions on the island prevented further rescue or recovery operations the previous day, police were still working with experts yesterday to determine whether the island is safe enough for police and rescue teams to recover those missing on the island.
At a press conference earlier in the day, the prime minister said aerial reconnaissance flights over the island conducted overnight found “no signs of life”.
“For now, our duty is to return loved ones,” she said. “To those who have lost or are missing family and friends, we share in your unfathomable grief in this moment in time.”
Chief Medical Officer Pete Watson told media that of the 31 people still in the hospital, 27 have burns on more than 30% of their body, and many have sustained inhalation burns that require airway support.
“We’re really confident of the expertise we have, but it is possible not all of the patients will survive,” Dr Watson said.
The prime minister said that in addition to New Zealanders, tourists from Australia, the US, Britain, China, Germany and Malaysia are among those listed as missing or injured.