One person has been confirmed dead after a volcano erupted without warning on New Zealand’s Whakaari/White Island this afternoon—and with 27 people still unaccounted for, there are fears the death toll will rise. The eruption occurred at 2:11 PM local time, just one minute after a webcam captured what appeared to be people walking inside the volcano’s crater, the ABC reported.
There were reportedly less than 50 people on the island at the time, 23 of whom have since been rescued by boats. Authorities said “most of them” had suffered burns, seven were critically injured, while at least one other person was killed.
Videos by VICE
“I can confirm there is one fatality, and based on the information we have there is likely to be more,” said National Operation Commander Deputy Commissioner John Tims this afternoon. “At this stage, it is too dangerous for police and rescue services to go to the island. However, we continue to assess the conditions which would allow us to go onto the island.
“The island is currently covered in ash and volcanic material,” he added. “We are taking expert advice with regards to the safety of any rescue attempt.”
Whakaari/White Island is situated about 48 kilometres off the Bay of Plenty, on the north island’s east coast. It is New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, as well as a popular tourist destination and scientific research site. Its last eruption was in 2016—a “short-lived burst” that did not injure anyone, according to The Guardian.
Science agency website GeoNet, which provides information on geological hazard in New Zealand, has classified today’s eruption as a level three out of five, which ranks as a “minor volcanic eruption.”
“Our monitoring data shows that there was a short-lived eruption that generated an ash plume to ~12,000ft above the vent,” the science agency said. “Ash fall appears to be confined to the island and we do not expect more than a minor amount of ash to reach East Cape in the coming hours. We have seen a steady decline in activity since the eruption. There remains significant uncertainty as to future changes but currently, there are no signs of escalation.”
St John Ambulance dispatched seven helicopters to the island in the wake of the eruption. Speaking to Newstalk ZB this afternoon, St John Ambulance director of operations Norma Lane indicated that they were anticipating a range of injuries.
“We’re expecting burns, there could be respiratory issues, there could be head injuries, fractures, et cetera from rocks or stones, we really don’t know at this stage,” she said, according to the NZ Herald. “This is an incident that is still evolving and we’re still waiting to get the reports from the clinicians on the scene. We will get to those people as quickly as we can and get them to the right centres.”
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison offered emergency support to New Zealand, and confirmed that Australians have been “caught up in” the eruption.
“I have been in touch with Jacinda Ardern to offer our full support with whatever they need and our authorities are working closely together,” he added. “I will be staying in direct contact as events continue to unfold.”
