Chilling footage from day of White Island eruption released

Footage taken by a tourist shows White Island just minutes before the deadly volcanic eruption that killed at least nine Australians.

Horrifying footage has been released by a tourist who was on White Island minutes before the eruption.

Brazilian Allessandro Kauffman, who shared the 12-minute video on Facebook, documented the entire trip — from the time the excited visitors boarded the boat to the Island, to the sense of panic when they witnessed the eruption when leaving the island, the New Zealand Herald reports.

Police said 47 people were on or near the island when the volcano erupted, eight have since died and eight more people are thought to still be on the island. Police said there were no further “signs of life”.

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Horrifying footage has been released by a tourist who was on White Island minutes before the eruption. Source: Allessandro Kauffman

The video showed passengers arriving happy on the scenic island. Things were calm, and some took selfies as they walked towards the crater.

The tourists had finished the trip when footage showed them witnessing the aftermath of the eruption from on board the boat.

Brazilian Allessandro Kauffman documented the trip for 12 minutes. Source: Allessandro Kauffman

As a giant ash cloud raced across the island, shouts were made for the survivors to get inside the boat as it raced away from the site.

Police said 47 people were on or near the island when the volcano erupted. Source: Allessandro Kauffman

People on board were heard shouting “Oh my god, go, go, go, go, we’ve got to get out of here.”

Kauffmann, who had travelled to White Island with his partner Aline Moura, said they left the island and it “wasn’t even five minutes before it erupted”.

Kauffmann, who had travelled to White Island with his partner Aline Moura, said they left the island and it ‘wasn’t even five minutes before it erupted’. Source: Allessandro Kauffman

He said on Instagram: “Some people have extensive burns on their bodies. Two tours on the volcano. Ours was the first. The other one right after …

“This other tour that arrived after couldn’t leave in time.”

The footage comes as New Zealand police have only officially confirmed six deaths in the wake of the disaster, but say another eight are presumed dead on White Island.

Those eight have been not yet been identified as police say it is still “too dangerous” for emergency services to return to the island to recover the bodies.

Two more Australians have been confirmed dead following the devastating eruption, bringing the total number of Australians killed in the disaster to nine.

Seven Australians are still missing, including six who remain unaccounted for on the Red Cross missing persons list.

Berend Hollander, 16, and his brother Matthew Hollander, 13, were killed while visiting the site. The pair attended Knox Grammar School in Wahroonga, on Sydney’s north shore. The boys’ parents, Martin and Barbara Hollander, remain unaccounted for.

Seven other Australians have been confirmed dead, with another seven still missing.

There were 47 people on the island when ash spewed from a dormant crater, including 24 Australians.