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| New Zealand volcano eruption: five dead and eight missing after White Island blast – latest updates | New Zealand volcano eruption: five dead and eight missing after White Island blast – latest updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Jacinda Ardern confirms that New Zealanders and tourists from Australia, the US, Britain, China and Malaysia are among missing on White Island/Whakaari | Jacinda Ardern confirms that New Zealanders and tourists from Australia, the US, Britain, China and Malaysia are among missing on White Island/Whakaari |
| The prime minister has outlined what she will be doing over the course of the day in her RNZ interview: | |
| The prime minister was also asked “You must think, ‘what fresh hell is this?’” She responded: | |
| More from the Ardern interview. The prime minister was asked “Did you at any stage ask how come we can’t go back and see if there is anybody else we can bring off?” This is her response: | |
| Jacinda Ardern has given an interview to RNZ this morning. Asked if there would be an inquiry into the tragedy she said: | |
| Stephen D’Antal is reporting for the Guardian from the Bay of Plenty: | |
| Thousands of passengers from the Ovation of the Seas flooded into picturesque Mount Maunganui today, knowing little about the fate of their 38 companions who had been on a day trip to Whakaari/White Island. | |
| A couple from Sydney said the ship’s captain, Henrik Loy, had made an announcement through the tannoy about the volcanic eruption on Monday evening but given few details. | |
| “He said as much as he could given the situation,” said Helen, on holiday with her husband William, who declined to give her surname. | |
| “He said there were a number of affected family members still on board whose loved ones were affected and their priority is to safeguard them and their privacy. | |
| “There is a subdued atmosphere. I have not seen anyone obviously affected, they may have been segregated, but I can tell you there were reports last night that there was partying on board and that was completely untrue.” | |
| Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, has tweeted about the disaster: | |
| “Devastating scenes in New Zealand. I’ve been in contact with Prime Minister @jacindaardern to express our deepest sympathies. There are many people still feared missing, and my heart goes out to all those affected and their families.” | |
| Alison Rourke, my colleague in Sydney, has spoken to a passenger who is on Ovation of the Seas. | Alison Rourke, my colleague in Sydney, has spoken to a passenger who is on Ovation of the Seas. |
| Lynette travelled from Sydney to New Zealand on the Ovation of the Seas. She chose to go on a day trip to Rotorua yesterday instead of to White Island. She said passengers were waiting to see if they were allowed to get off the ship today. She said the captain and crew were doing their best to comfort passengers but they were not getting a great deal of detailed information available about what happened or about the missing people. Lynette said the captain’s announcements had “asked us to pray for the ones who have not come back”. | |
| “They are doing their best to comfort the families and look after the ones that are in hospital,” Lynette said. “You really do feel for the families of these people involved. There appears to be crew involved too.” | |
| The ship was supposed to sail to Wellington today. | |
| The plume of smoke from the volcanic eruption was captured by the Japanese Space Agency weather satellite Himawari 8. | The plume of smoke from the volcanic eruption was captured by the Japanese Space Agency weather satellite Himawari 8. |
| Shane Cronin, a professor of earth sciences at the University of Auckland has written a piece for the Conversation about the causes of the explosion: | Shane Cronin, a professor of earth sciences at the University of Auckland has written a piece for the Conversation about the causes of the explosion: |
| Cronin also wrote about why such eruptions are so difficult to predict: | Cronin also wrote about why such eruptions are so difficult to predict: |
| Jacinda Ardern has given a further update that 31 people are in hospitals around New Zealand. | Jacinda Ardern has given a further update that 31 people are in hospitals around New Zealand. |
| She said: | She said: |
| New Zealand’s prime minister said Australia had offered “broad” support – “any help that we need” – including the offer of personnel for victim identification. | New Zealand’s prime minister said Australia had offered “broad” support – “any help that we need” – including the offer of personnel for victim identification. |
| Ardern said she had received messages from the prime minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, and Canada’s Justin Trudeau in addition to phone contact with Scott Morrison. | Ardern said she had received messages from the prime minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, and Canada’s Justin Trudeau in addition to phone contact with Scott Morrison. |
| After the tragedy, there are questions about why tourists were allowed on the island at all considering the risks. A volcanologist, Carina Fearnley, has spoken to the UK’s Channel 5 News saying she had visited the island and found it terrifying given her understanding of the danger. | After the tragedy, there are questions about why tourists were allowed on the island at all considering the risks. A volcanologist, Carina Fearnley, has spoken to the UK’s Channel 5 News saying she had visited the island and found it terrifying given her understanding of the danger. |
| Scott Morrison said it was “still too early to tell” the full extent of injuries of the 13 Australians in hospitals around New Zealand but that “a number of them are in critical conditions” including those with “quite severe burns”. | Scott Morrison said it was “still too early to tell” the full extent of injuries of the 13 Australians in hospitals around New Zealand but that “a number of them are in critical conditions” including those with “quite severe burns”. |
| Marise Payne said the Australians “are located in multiple hospitals around New Zealand, in Waikato, in Christchurch, in Middlemore in Auckland, in Tauranga and in Hart Valley”. | Marise Payne said the Australians “are located in multiple hospitals around New Zealand, in Waikato, in Christchurch, in Middlemore in Auckland, in Tauranga and in Hart Valley”. |
| Payne said: | Payne said: |
| Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, and the foreign minister, Marise Payne, have given an update on the 24 Australians believed to be on White Island during the eruption. | Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, and the foreign minister, Marise Payne, have given an update on the 24 Australians believed to be on White Island during the eruption. |
| Morrison said: | Morrison said: |
| That death toll is expected to rise, Morrison said: | That death toll is expected to rise, Morrison said: |
| Here’s a quick recap of where we left things in our live coverage from events on Monday: | Here’s a quick recap of where we left things in our live coverage from events on Monday: |
| Police have said that they believe there are no survivors left on the island after reconnaissance flights showed “no signs of life had been seen at any point”. | Police have said that they believe there are no survivors left on the island after reconnaissance flights showed “no signs of life had been seen at any point”. |
| The military will deploy drones on Tuesday to assess the situation on the ground. | The military will deploy drones on Tuesday to assess the situation on the ground. |
| As many as 27 people were thought to have been stranded on the island after the eruption. | As many as 27 people were thought to have been stranded on the island after the eruption. |
| Prime minister Jacinda Ardern is expected to travel to the island on Tuesday. | Prime minister Jacinda Ardern is expected to travel to the island on Tuesday. |
| New Zealand police deputy commissioner John Timms told a briefing that police and rescue crews have still not been able to access to the island, after advice from volcano experts. “The physical environment is unsafe for us to return to the island.”. | New Zealand police deputy commissioner John Timms told a briefing that police and rescue crews have still not been able to access to the island, after advice from volcano experts. “The physical environment is unsafe for us to return to the island.”. |
| A number of people have been taken to hospital, some with burns as a result of the eruption. | A number of people have been taken to hospital, some with burns as a result of the eruption. |
| Fewer than 50 people were on the island at the time of the eruption, and 23 have been taken off. | Fewer than 50 people were on the island at the time of the eruption, and 23 have been taken off. |
| 30 to 38 of those people were passengers on the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas, as confirmed by the chief executive of the New Zealand Cruise Association. | 30 to 38 of those people were passengers on the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas, as confirmed by the chief executive of the New Zealand Cruise Association. |
| The eruption occurred about 2.11pm local time, 48km off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, in the North Island. | The eruption occurred about 2.11pm local time, 48km off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, in the North Island. |
| Academics have questioned the suitability of White Island, New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, as a tourist destination, saying it “was a disaster waiting to happen”. | Academics have questioned the suitability of White Island, New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, as a tourist destination, saying it “was a disaster waiting to happen”. |
| New Zealand Red Cross has activated the Family Links website for those concerned that their loved ones may have been caught up in the incident. | New Zealand Red Cross has activated the Family Links website for those concerned that their loved ones may have been caught up in the incident. |
| The Australian prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking to reporters in Sydney about the tragedy. Three Australians believed to have been killed and eight missing on White Island after the eruption. Here’s some of what he had to say: | The Australian prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking to reporters in Sydney about the tragedy. Three Australians believed to have been killed and eight missing on White Island after the eruption. Here’s some of what he had to say: |
| Morrison said Australian police would be working with New Zealand police on victim identification and forensics and would offer any other support required. | Morrison said Australian police would be working with New Zealand police on victim identification and forensics and would offer any other support required. |
| Hello and welcome to our continued live coverage of the Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption. | Hello and welcome to our continued live coverage of the Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption. |
| There are no signs of life on the active volcano Whakaari, or White Island, in New Zealand, where eight people are still missing after an eruption on Monday, according to the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern. | There are no signs of life on the active volcano Whakaari, or White Island, in New Zealand, where eight people are still missing after an eruption on Monday, according to the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern. |
| Thirty-one people are in hospitals around New Zealand recovering from injuries – some of them badly burned – and five people are confirmed dead. Their bodies were returned to New Zealand’s mainland yesterday. | Thirty-one people are in hospitals around New Zealand recovering from injuries – some of them badly burned – and five people are confirmed dead. Their bodies were returned to New Zealand’s mainland yesterday. |
| While there is no official list of the injured and missing, there are reports that they came from all over the world, including two from the UK, who are in hospital. A large group were passengers on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship, which was docked nearby. | While there is no official list of the injured and missing, there are reports that they came from all over the world, including two from the UK, who are in hospital. A large group were passengers on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship, which was docked nearby. |
| Questions remain about recovery efforts on the island – the mission is no longer considered a rescue operation – and what will happen next. Ardern revealed on Tuesday morning that private helicopter pilots and one rescue helicopter had landed on the island in the immediate aftermath of the eruption and were able to rescue survivors. | Questions remain about recovery efforts on the island – the mission is no longer considered a rescue operation – and what will happen next. Ardern revealed on Tuesday morning that private helicopter pilots and one rescue helicopter had landed on the island in the immediate aftermath of the eruption and were able to rescue survivors. |
| But by the time the authorities got involved, it was deemed too dangerous to land there, and rescuers have not been on the ground since. Emergency services, scientists and the military are working together to decide when the situation is safe for searchers to access Whakaari. | But by the time the authorities got involved, it was deemed too dangerous to land there, and rescuers have not been on the ground since. Emergency services, scientists and the military are working together to decide when the situation is safe for searchers to access Whakaari. |
| Ardern would not answer questions on Tuesday about whether the tourist operation that transported 10,000 people a year to the island should have been visiting Whakaari. She said tours had been running to the island for years while the volcano was active. | Ardern would not answer questions on Tuesday about whether the tourist operation that transported 10,000 people a year to the island should have been visiting Whakaari. She said tours had been running to the island for years while the volcano was active. |