- Authorities said in a press conference on Wednesday morning that six people are dead, and eight people remain missing after one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes erupted on Monday.
- New Zealand's geological monitoring agency, GeoNet, said the eruption began at around 2:11 p.m. local time on Whakaari, also known as White Island, a popular tourist spot which features an active volcano.
- The death toll is expected to rise as police said that "no signs of life have been seen at any point" by helicopters and rescue aircrafts flying over the island.
- GNS Science, New Zealand's geoscience agency, said on Wednesday that the volcanic tremor has "significantly increased overnight," leaving open the "likely" possibility that another eruption could occur within the next 24 hours.
- Authorities say conditions at the volcano remain "too unsafe" for rescuers to retrieve the remaining bodies.
- Police released the nationalities of 47 people who were on the island when the volcano erupted, which included 24 Australians, two Chinese nationals, four Germans, one Malaysian national, five New Zealanders, two people from the UK, and nine people from the US.
- Police say it is too early to confirm whether there will also be a criminal investigation on the circumstances which allowed large numbers of people to visit the volcano before its eruption.
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Authorities confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday morning that six people are dead, and eight people remain missing after one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes erupted on Monday.
The death toll is expected rise as police said that "no signs of life have been seen at any point" by helicopters and rescue aircrafts flying over the Island.
The eruption occurred at Whakaari, also known as White Island, a popular tourist spot located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the east coast of country's North Island.
According to New Zealand's geological monitoring agency, GeoNet, the unexpected eruption began at around 2:11 p.m. local time on Monday and sent ash plumes 12,000 feet into the air.
Police acting assistant commissioner Bruce Bird said on Wednesday that conditions at the volcano remained "too unsafe" for rescuers to land safely.
GNS Science, New Zealand's geoscience agency, said on Wednesday that the volcanic tremor has "significantly increased overnight," leaving open the "likely" possibility that another eruption could occur within the next 24 hours.
The agency added that the volcano is producing "vigorous steaming and localized mud jetting in several of the craters created by the eruption," which they are interpreting as signs of continued high gas pressures within the volcano.
"It is important to note that the environment on the island has changed since the eruption," police said on Wednesday.
Police say they are still working to confirm the identities of those who have died and who are injured.
"The nature of the injuries that people have suffered is severe and means identifying them is a complex matter," police said.
On Wednesday, police said that search and rescue missions will be carried out once conditions on the island are clear. Police launched a drone on Wednesday morning to gather information on the island's conditions, including gas levels in the atmosphere. Windy conditions on the island prevented drones from being sent out on Tuesday morning.
"Those deploying to the island will likely encounter serious physical and chemical hazards, for which we must be prepared," police said.
30 people are still being treated for burns in several hospitals around New Zealand, 25 of whom remain in critical condition as of Wednesday morning, police said.
Authorities said in a press conference on Tuesday that 27 victims had burns on at least 30 percent of their bodies.
Police say they expected more bodies to be discovered once the rescue operation was able to be carried out.
"We understand people's desire to recover their loved ones and we are working around the clock to get onto the island so we can recover them as soon as possible," police said Tuesday. "Based on the effects of the eruption on the bodies, this recovery will need to be handled with expert skill and care."
Police on Tuesday released the nationalities of 47 people who were on the island when the volcano erupted, which included 24 Australians, two Chinese nationals, four Germans, one Malaysian national, five New Zealanders, two people from the UK, and nine people from the US.
Police added that it was too early to confirm whether there will also be a criminal investigation on the circumstances which allowed large numbers of people to visit the volcano before its eruption.
Whakaari/White Island is erupting. More information soon. pic.twitter.com/B5m4BSa4bt
— GeoNet (@geonet) December 9, 2019
Prime Minister Jacinda Arden said that about 100 people were believed to have been on the island when the volcano erupted, according to the New Zealand Herald.
It is not clear how many of these estimated 100 people were rescued prior to the helicopters being sent over the Island.
Prime Minister Arden expressed her condolences for those affected at a cabinet meeting on Monday afternoon.
"All our thoughts are with those affected at this stage," Ardern said.
New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency said on Monday that the immediate vicinity of the volcano remains hazardous.
A no-fly zone has been established above the island.
According to GNS Science, White Island has been New Zealand's most continuously active volcano for the last 40 years.
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