New Zealand

NZ police plan to recover bodies from White Island on Friday

cde.news desk 12 December 2019, 06:45 · 1 min read

epa08062709 A handout satellite photo made available by MAXAR Technologies shows the White Island (Whakaari) volcano one day after erupting, in New Zealand, 11 December 2019. At least five people died, some 30 others were injured and eight people are still missing after the White Island (Whakaari) volcano erupted on 09 December, media reported. EPA-EFE/SATELLITE IMAGE ©2019 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES / HANDOUT MANDATORY CREDIT: (Satellite image © 2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company) HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

New Zealand police have said they plan to recover bodies from White Island – where a volcanic eruption killed at least eight people – on Friday morning.

The rescue mission will go ahead despite the risk of another eruption, police said.

At least eight people are thought to be on the island following the eruption on Monday morning. All are presumed dead.

Police said they were considering a “high-speed recovery” of the bodies.

New Zealand's White Island volcano erupts — A handout satellite photo made available by MAXAR Technologies shows the White Island (Whakaari) volcano one day after erupting, in New Zealand, 11 December 2019. EPA-EFE/SATELLITE IMAGE ©2019 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES.

Eight others have already been confirmed dead, and 20 are in intensive care after suffering severe burns when the volcano erupted as tourists were visiting.

GeoNet, New Zealand’s geological hazard information site, said on Thursday there was a 50-60% chance of another eruption occurring within the next 24 hours.

But families of the victims were growing increasingly “desperate” for the bodies to be recovered, police said.

Via BBC

Filed under New Zealand

Topics New Zealand Volcano