- Authorities on Friday recovered the bodies of six people who died after one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes erupted on Monday, bringing the known death toll to 14.
- 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.
- Police on Friday said that two people remain missing and were unable to be rescued. They are presumed dead.
- Police said the environment was "highly unpredictable and challenging," during the rescue mission.
- 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 on Friday recovered the bodies of six people who died after one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes erupted on Monday, bringing the known death toll to 14.
Police on Friday said that two people remain unaccounted for and were unable to be rescued.
"The environment the recovery team faced today was highly unpredictable and challenging," police said. "We are making every effort to locate and recover the two remaining deceased."
Police said that at least one of the remaining bodies was still in the water near the island.
The number of those killed in the disaster rose to eight on Thursday after two people succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.
Police previously 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.
On Friday, Geonet said that there was still a 50-60% chance of an eruption occurring within the next 24 hours.
GNS Science, New Zealand's geoscience agency said Wednesday that the volcano was producing "vigorous steaming and localized mud jetting in several of the craters created by the eruption," which they interpreted as signs of continued high gas pressures within the volcano.
Police said identifying the victims would be a "complex matter" because people had suffered severe injuries and burns.
More than 20 people are still being treated for burns in several hospitals around New Zealand. Around 186,000 square inches of skin are being brought into New Zealand to treat the burn victims.
"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 say they are still working to confirm the identities of those who have died and who are injured. 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.
The two people who died in the hospital were identified as brothers Berend Hollander, 16, and Matthew Hollander, 13. Their school Knox Grammar School, located in Sydney confirmed their deaths, The Guardian reported. The brothers were born in the US and moved from Chicago to Australia six years ago, ABC News reported. Their parents are still missing.
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 expressed her condolences for those affected at a press conference on Friday.
"This is a volcano that has been visited for the better part of 30 years. However, we also hear, and absolutely agree, that there are questions that are being asked that must be answered and they will be."
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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