New Zealand volcano eruption leaves at least five dead

Our live coverage of the New Zealand eruption has moved here.

Right now it’s 4 a.m. in New Zealand, so updates have slowed down from the region for the night.

Sunrise at White Island is at 5:43 a.m., which is when a New Zealand Defense Force ship is expected to deploy drones and observational equipment to assess the environment. Overnight authorities said a specialist disaster victim identification team were also awaiting deployment in the nearby port town of Whakatane. Police have called it a “recovery operation.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden arrived in Whakatane earlier, where she was due to meet with search and rescue authorities.

She is expected to give an update at a press conference as the nation wakes up at around 7 a.m. local (1 p.m. ET).

In the latest update from authorities, at least five people were confirmed dead from the volcano eruption, 18 people were in hospital and at least 10 people were still missing.

However, police earlier police said “no signs of life have been seen at any point,” and that based on the information they have, they “do not believe there are any survivors on the island.”

Sitting 48 kilometers (around 30 miles) offshore, White Island is home to New Zealand’s most active volcano – 70% of which is under the sea, according to science agency GeoNet.

White Island has been a private scenic reserve since 1953, and each year, more than 10,000 people visit the volcano.

Its most recent eruption was 2016 but it was “short-lived,” and according to Reuters, the island’s last fatal eruption was in 1914 when 12 sulphur miners were killed.

The volcano on White Island pictured in 1999.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had spoken with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern “several times this evening” and that there was “still no comprehensive or confirmed information about the well-being of all those who were impacted by the volcano.”

Morrison said there were still people who are “unaccounted for, including Australians” and stressed that everyone must be patient as it will “take some time for us to get a clear indication.”

He added that authorities have been able to identify a number of Australians so far who have been hospitalized.

In the statement, which was posted to Twitter, Morrison thanked those who “put themselves at risk today to protect and save others, and those now caring for the injured.”

You can read his full statement below:

Police say they do not believe any survivors are left on White Island, according to the latest update on their website.

Police added that they are “working urgently to confirm the exact number of those who have died, further to the five confirmed deceased already.”

Earlier police estimated that at least 10 people were still missing on the island.

At first light on Tuesday morning, a New Zealand Defence Force ship will deploy drones and observational equipment to assess the environment and situation, police said in the statement.

“Both New Zealanders and overseas tourists are believed to [be] involved, and a number were from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship,” police added.

The volcano on White Island erupted three times on Monday, according to Whakatane District Mayor.

The volcano on White Island, also known as Whakaari, erupted three times on Monday, according to the nearby Whakatane District Mayor Judy Turner.

“We have been advised that the situation on Whakaari / White Island remains extremely volatile,” Turner said.

She added that the risk of ash fall reaching New Zealand’s east coast remains low but New Zealand’s geoscience institute, GNS, continues to monitor the situation.

“At this stage the elevated risk level is contained to Whakaari / White Island,” Turner added.

Whakatane is the port town nearest White Island.

Monday’s deadly eruption speaks to how unpredictable volcanos can be.

Steven Sherburn, a vulcanologist from GNS Science which monitors volcanic activity in New Zealand, said that there had been “unrest” in the volcano for weeks, but people had continued to visit the island.

“There was nothing particularly unusual about today,” he said of the activity on Monday prior to the eruption.

Although the island’s alert level had been upgraded to two out of five in recent weeks, that didn’t necessarily mean that it would erupt. A volcano could have a level two rating for a long time and not erupt – but equally, a volcano could have a level one rating and still erupt, he said.

Sherburn noted that, while GeoNet monitored and rated volcanic activity, it didn’t have the ability to prevent people from going on the island.

Currently, White Island has a GeoNet rating of three.

Police say it’s too dangerous to access White Island right now – and according to experts, it’s not yet clear when it will be safe.

The island remains a no-fly zone, and emergency services are unable to go on the island as there’s a risk it could erupt.

Dr. Jessica Johnson, a volcanologist at the University of East Anglia in England, said that eruptions could be unpredictable if they involved water.

“There is a chance of another eruption of similar size … and potentially bigger,” she said.

Derek Wyman, a senior lecturer at Sydney University, said the authorities would need to monitor the volcano for around a week to see if the volcanic activity continued, especially as there was no way to predict whether it would erupt again.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern arriving in Whakatane, New Zealand.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden arrived in Whakatane earlier tonight, meeting with local authorities as they continue carry out search and rescue operations.

Numerous government and emergency agencies are meeting at the Whakatane District Council office, including the Ministry of Civil Defence and St John New Zealand.

If you’re just joining us now, here’s what you need to know:

Emergency services at the Whakatane Airport on December 09, 2019.

It’s now after 10 p.m. in Whakatane, the town on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island which is closest to White Island.

Home to around 30,000 people, Whakatane rarely hits headlines, even in New Zealand. It’s a quiet beach town, with a large Maori population – the country’s indigenous people. For those wanting to head to White Island, it’s often the launch point.

At about 48 kilometers (30 miles) from shore, White Island is visible from Whakatane. Standing on the beach at Whakatane, it’s not uncommon to see tendrils of smoke above the island.

After hearing about the eruption on Monday, Bobby Bell, a 35-year-old American who is staying with his girlfriend in Whakatane, came into the town center.

Bell tried to see what was happening, but part of the waterfront was blocked off by authorities. He said his friend had seen a boat coming to shore, covered in ash.

Local resident Ross Mckenzie, 69, said the island had looked more smoky recently, but the tour groups go out there everyday. He believed today’s eruption had taken the tour groups by surprise.

Bobby Bell

More than 30 passengers from the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line were believed to have been on the island when the volcano erupted.

In a statement to CNN, the cruise company said it was “devastated” and working with local authorities.

Read the statement:

When White Island erupted, there would have been hot steam clouds, poisonous gases, and falling rocks – in short, chaos for those on the island.

According to Dr. Jessica Johnson, a volcanologist at the University of East Anglia in England, poisonous gases would have spilled from the volcano – so much that people would have been able to taste the chemicals.

The volcano – which has an acidic lake in its crater – would have thrown out hot steam clouds, she added.

The eruption would have also created “ballistics” – or falling rocks.

On top of that, the explosion would have been very loud, creating a “chaotic” and “unpleasant” situation, she said.

Around 50 people were believed to be on or around the island at the time of the blast, according to New Zealand police. A total of 23 people have been rescued from the island – and of those injured, most are suffering from burns.

Johnson believed that most injuries would likely have been due to the force of the explosion. Burns were likely from the steam blasts, she said.

According to Derek Wyman, a senior lecturer at Sydney University, material would have blasted from the volcano at about 1,000 degrees Celsius. “Having seen an image of how close those people were to the crater, it would have been a catastrophic look,” he said. “It would have been an overwhelming site.”

Steam emitting from White Island after a volcanic eruption on December 09, 2019 in New Zealand.

At least 10 people are believed to still be on White Island, where a volcano erupted earlier today, New Zealand police said earlier tonight at a press conference.

Earlier today, they had estimated that fewer than 50 people were on or around the island at the time of the eruption. More than 30 of those are believed to be cruise passengers from the Royal Caribbean cruise line.

Since the eruption, 23 people have been evacuated from the island. Five of those have died, and the rest have been transported to hospital, authorities said.

The death toll is likely to rise, police warned earlier today – but it’s difficult to place concrete estimates because they have had no communications with anyone on the island, and rescuers are unable to go onto the island because it’s still too dangerous.

So far, limited information has emerged about the victims and the injured. The five who died are from a range of nationalities, and the people on the island are believed to be a mix of locals and tourists, according to authorities.

Night has fallen in New Zealand, but authorities are still working on search and rescue operations for the undetermined number of people still on White Island.

However, they’ve had to conduct their operations from the shore of North Island – the island is still too dangerous for rescuers to access, said John Tims, police deputy commissioner, at a press conference earlier this evening.

Authorities still have no communications with anyone on the island, and are working to identify the numbers and names of those who remaining on the island, Tims said. He estimated that at least 10 people were still missing on White Island.

At a press conference tonight, New Zealand Police Deputy Commissioner John Tims said emergency services were still working on gathering information on the victims who have died and those who may still be on the island.

Five people from a range of nationalities have been confirmed dead. They were among 23 people who were rescued from the island earlier today after the eruption. The remaining 18 survivors are all injured to some degree, with some suffering severe burns, Tims said.

He added that the number of people still on the island is estimated to be in the double digits, but authorities don’t have a definitive number and are “unsure of their wellbeing.”

Earlier, authorities said that they believed that fewer than 50 people were on the island at the time of the eruption. It is believed at least 30 of those people were passengers aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise line, the Ovation of The Seas.

The death toll has risen to five people after the volcano on White Island erupted earlier today, said Police Deputy Commissioner John Tims at an ongoing press conference.

New Zealand authorities are expected to speak at a press conference in the next few minutes. We’ll be listening in to give you the latest updates here.

White Island, or Whakaari, lies off the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island in the Bay of Plenty.

It’s the country’s only active marine volcano, and has had regular eruptions since 2012.

However, the eruptions are typically minor, and the island remains a popular tourist destination. According to geological monitor GeoNet, more than 10,000 people visit the island every year.

Tour agencies often offer ocean cruises near the island, or guided tours of the volcano’s inner crater. Many also often take helicopter rides above the island.

Watch more here:

A Royal Caribbean ship in the Bahamas on April 29, 2019.

Of the roughly 50 people who were on White Island at the time of the eruption, more than 30 are believed to be passengers from a Royal Caribbean cruise, said the Chief Executive Officer of the New Zealand Cruise Association.

Based in the United States, Royal Caribbean is one of the largest cruise companies in the world, boasting 26 massive ships that house thousands of passengers. As one of the major players in the industry, it consistently wins awards for luxury suites and entertainment.

Last year, the Miami-based cruise line carried an estimated 5.5 million passengers from more than 150 countries.

The last hours of daylight are fading in New Zealand, as fears grow for those who remain unaccounted for on the still-smoking White Island.

Police said that of the estimated 50 people who were believed to be on the island at the time of the eruption, only 23 had been accounted for at the last count.

The rest have not been heard from so far – and police said White Island is still considered too dangerous to search.

A New Zealand volcano expert speaking at the news conference on Monday afternoon said that while the eruption may not have been large, it would have been incredibly dangerous to anyone nearby.