New Zealanders across the country observed a minute of silence on Monday to honour the victims of last week’s fatal volcanic eruption, as police continued efforts to recover two bodies.
The official death toll from the surprise eruption on White Island, also known by its Maori name of Whakaari, stands at 16. Two people whose bodies are believed to be in the waters around the island are still officially listed as missing.
A further 26 people remain in hospitals in New Zealand and Australia, many in critical condition with severe burn injuries.
- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern observes a minute of silence for victims of the White Island tragedy during a cabinet meeting in Wellington, New Zealand 16 December 2019. According to media reports, 16 people are now confirmed deceased following a volcano eruption at White Island on 09 December 2019. EPA-EFE/HAGEN HOPKINS / POOL
- Royal Caribbean International’s cruise ship Ovation of the Seas arrives in Sydney Harbour after returning from New Zealand, in Sydney, Australia, 16 December 2019. Some of the tourists on New Zealand’s White Island during Monday’s volcano eruption were passengers on a cruise ship visiting the area. EPA-EFE/JOEL CARRETT
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led Monday’s minute of silence, standing alongside her ministers in Wellington’s distinctive “Beehive” parliament building.
Recovery teams who retrieved six bodies from the island on Friday, have so far been unsuccessful in locating the final two bodies despite several hours of searching over the weekend.
New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said another aerial search would be conducted on Monday, to help naval divers form a plan for a further underwater search.
Via NZ Herald
