NZ volcano eruption: Badly burned Aussies to be flown home

Some survivors of the White Island volcano eruption are being prepared for evacuation to Australian hospitals.

A rescue helicopter is pictured arriving at the Whakatane Airport. Picture: Getty

Some survivors of the White ­Island disaster were being prepared for evacuation to Australian hospitals on Tuesday night as the emergency stretched resources at New Zealand’s burns units.

There were 31 survivors in hospital in New Zealand on Tuesday. Of those, 25 were being treated in the country’s four burns units.

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The number of people in critical condition was changing constantly, but it was more than 20.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the media around the time New Zealand health officials confirmed there were 13 Australians among the survivors in hospital. “Obviously there are burns issues, quite severe burns issues, and that’s why they are in so many different hospitals because they have been taken to the various burns units across New Zealand,” the Prime Minister said.

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New Zealand Ministry of Health spokesman Pete Watson revealed the extent of the injuries suffered by the people who were rescued from White Island on ­Monday.

“It is possible that not all the ­patients will survive,” he said, ­adding that the number of people in a critical condition was “in the 20s”.

“Of those injured, 27 of the 31 have suffered greater than 30 per cent total body surface area burns … and many have inhalation burns that requite airways support.”

New Zealand has four specialty burns units, three on North Island and one in Christchurch. By late Tuesday they were full and plans were being made to fly some ­patients to Australia.

“The volume of work facing our national burns unit at Middlemore Hospital (in south Auckland) in one day is equivalent to the normal workload that they would see in a typical year,” Mr Watson said.

“All of our burns units are now full to capacity.

“Our hospitals, plastic surgeons, anaesthetists, nursing staff and others are doing their utmost to treat the survivors, many of whom have sustained very serious injuries.

“This is really large in terms of the pressure it’s putting on our units.”

New Zealand medics had begun making plans to shift some of the Australians to burns units in Australia, possibly in their home states.

“It makes sense to do this,” Mr Watson said.

“When they are transported they will be treated at home closer to their family and their usual ­supports.”

ADDITIONAL REPORTING: AAP