New Zealand White Island volcano: Photos before deadly eruption
Ovation of the Seas cruise liner passengers were on White Island when the volcano erupted
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At 2.10pm a camera looking into the White Island volcano shows a tour group, believed to be from cruise liner Ovation of the Seas which set off from Sydney, inside the crater.
At 2.11pm the crater erupts, killing at least five people, leaving others with burns and up to 20 unaccounted for.
More than 20 Australians from the Royal Caribbean ship were among just under 50 people on White Island at the time of the eruption and Prime Minister Scott Morrison was in close contact with the NZ government last night.
Just 23 people were rescued alive from the island before it last night became too dangerous for emergency workers to return to.
“Australians have been caught up in this terrible event and we are working to determine their wellbeing,” Mr Morrison said.
Questions have been raised about why tours to the island had continued after the Volcanic Alert Level had been increased in recent weeks with the lake in the crater rising slowly since August and increased levels of gas and steam had been detected.
The eruption which shot a plume of ash and toxic gas 3.6km into the air could seen by distressed passengers still on the Ovation of the Seas, which left Sydney on December 4 for its 12-day voyage and docked at the North Island town of Tauranga, south west of White Island, where passengers joined local tours to the volcano.
One passenger said they all stood in stunned silence as the captain announced that a group of guests and one crew member had been on the island.
“We know the urgency to get back to the island,” National New Zealand Operation Commander Deputy Commissioner John Tims said.
The official death toll was likely to rise, he said.
“At this stage it is too dangerous for police and rescue to go onto the island … the island is currently covered in ash and volcanic material,” he said at 6.35pm local time.
The Port of Tauranga company chief executive Mark Cairns said he understood the majority of those injured in the eruption are from the ship.
There are 4579 passengers and 1595 crew on board.
The seismic activity had been building since September ahead of the eruption with authorities raising its Volcanic Alert Level to Level 2, as scientists observed increasing amounts of sulphur dioxide gas — a key indicator of rising magma deep in its bowels.
On 3 December, geological hazard monitoring website GeoNet hadwarned “the volcano may be entering a period where eruptive activity is more likely than normal,” although saying that “the current level of activity does not pose a direct hazard to visitors.”
White Island has seen several eruptions over the years most recently in 2016, but no one was hurt at the time.
University of Auckland volcanologist Shane Cronin added that sudden unheralded eruptions from volcanoes such as White Island could be expected at any time, the New Zealand Herald reported.
NZ PM Jacinda Ardern would not comment when asked whether people should have been allowed on the island, a popular tourist attraction.
“The absolute focus needs to be the search and rescue,” she said.
People covered in ash could be seen being carried from rescue helicopters to the emergency operation centre at Whakatane Hospital. Emotional families of those still missing gathered at Whakatane wharf.
St John director of operations Norma Lane told Newstalk ZB that as many as seven helicopters were on the way yesterday afternoon.
“We’re expecting burns, there could be respiratory issues, there could be head injuries, fractures, etc. from rocks or stones, we really don’t know at this stage,” Ms Lane.
And a man whose Facebook profile says he works at White Island Tours, Calvin Kingi, posted a photo of the island erupting, saying:
“White Island just erupted as we left, we have our work mates and a tour still on the island, I hope they [are] okay.”
Mr Kingi later said the boat he was on was returning to the island: “We have people in critical condition [to] help.”
Royal Caribbean International, which owns the luxury liner, confirmed passengers from the ship had taken local excursions to the volcano.
“During Ovation of the Seas call to Tauranga today, a shore tour was visiting White Island at the time of the volcanic eruption earlier this afternoon,” they said on their website.
“We do not have any additional details to share at this time. Ovation of the Seas will remain overnight until we learn more about the situation. We will offer all possible assistance to our guests and local authorities.”
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said: “Australia’s High Commission in Wellington is making urgent inquiries with local authorities.”