Police hope bodies can be recovered today
The recovery of eight bodies from Whakaari/White Island could begin today, police say.
Frustration turned to anger yesterday as people waited for the news of when a recovery operation to the island would begin.
Early in the day, Police Minister Stuart Nash visited Mataatua Te Manuka Tutahi Marae where he had an emotional meeting with families who were still waiting to hear when a recovery operation would get under way.
Media were not allowed in, but Nash later said he understood the frustration of families wanting to recover their loved ones.
But he reiterated police were taking advice from scientists and taking into account all of the risks before sending people there.
Just hours later, police sent out a statement saying they would probably start the recovery mission this morning.
The official death toll from the deadly eruption on Monday afternoon now stands at eight. Eight more people are missing, presumed dead, on the island.
However, the death toll is expected to rise significantly as many of those in hospital battle life-threatening injuries.
Two of the latest victims, Matthew Hollander, 13, and his brother Berend, 16, died while being treated at Waikato and Middlemore hospitals.
Meanwhile, 28 people are still being treated at seven hospitals throughout the country, with 23 in a critical condition, many on ventilators and in need of skin grafts. Some patients have burns to 90 or 95 per cent of their bodies.
In the past 24 hours, four flights transferred seven Australian
patients across the Tasman. The planes had intensive care capability.
The risks of recovering the bodies were outlined by Police Deputy Commissioner Mike Clement yesterday.
He said it would take at least 15 minutes on foot once crews landed on the island to get to where the bodies were located.
A range of options were on the table, including an ‘‘in and out’’ style mission – something they would consult victims’ families about.
It was confirmed that a Nga¯ ti Awa tohunga would accompany the recovery team to the island to conduct the necessary cultural imperatives and provide spiritual support to the recovery team once the green light is given.
Clement said, given the toxicity of the island, it was possible the remains could pose a risk to those who retrieved them.
One factor that Clement was having to consider was whether attempts to gather evidence where the bodies lay would be possible.
As part of the disaster victim identification (DVI) process, it is common practice for police to photograph the bodies where they have fallen.
Along with this, they also note where the bodies are geographically. Each body is labelled with an individual DVI number.
As Clement said, the role of establishing the identity of the victim did not fall at the feet of police, but was the responsibility of the coroner who needed certain evidence.
However, Clement said he was willing to accept a trade-off in the process of collecting evidence from the scene if this meant recovering the remains any quicker.
Meanwhile, Health Minister David Clark was also in Whakata¯ne yesterday visiting hospital staff who first responded to those injured in the Whakaari/ White Island eruption.
He said New Zealanders should be incredibly proud of how the health system had responded while facing a tragedy, the size of which no-one could have anticipated.
‘‘I couldn’t be more proud of the response.
‘‘But I think we can all acknowledge that it will take some time for them now as they work through with family and friends in the community the events that have unfolded, and take time to care for themselves as well.’’