White Island eruption: 'too unsafe' to retrieve bodies as volcanic activity rises – the guardian, theguardian.com

Police have said 32 of the survivors of the White Island eruption are in a critical condition, as authorities said they could not commit to a timeline for retrieving eight bodies likely to be on the island because volcanic activity remained too high.

On Wednesday police acting assistant commissioner Bruce Bird said rescue teams were taking advice from an expert volcanic advisory group in Wellington but it was still too unsafe to attempt landing on the volcano.

GeoNet volcanologist Craig Miller said White Island’s alert level remained at three but “volcanic tremor significantly increased” on the island around 4am, indicating that volcanic gas pressures remained high.

“This has been accompanied by vigorous steaming and localized mud jetting in several of the craters created by the eruption on Monday,” Miller said. “The situation remains highly uncertain as to future activity. Eruptions in the next 32 hours are still likely to occur.

The burns units of sixNew Zealandhospitals were at full capacity caring for survivors, and police have said more deaths are likely as 30 of the 51 remaining patients were in a critical condition. The other five were in a serious but stable condition.

In a press conference in Whakātane on Wednesday, Bird said the safety of his officers was the priority, particularly because his team were confident no one remained alive on the island.

Bird said a reconnaissance drone had been successfully launched at 8. 32 am on Wednesday but bad weather heading for the region might hamper further drone flights or a recovery mission.

“Police have disaster victim identification specialists standing by in Whakātane ready to be deployed… we will not be moving there until the situation is safe for us to operate,” Bird said.

“Those deploying to the island will likely encounter serious physical and chemical hazards, for which we must be prepared.”

“We are working out the plan on how we will actually go about it, we’ve got to be certain of the environmental situation out there on the island, then we can make some decisions once we’ve got all of that information. Safety for our staff is a huge priority for us, and we’ve got to get this right. ”

As the wait for the recovery mission lengthens, local people have expressed frustration at the multiple delays and the lack of information from police, including any discussion of the details of the recovery plan or how long it would take.

“Let’s stop talking about it and do it,” says Ben Smith, 728, a local orchard worker. “I think they are over-rationalizing it. You have to take that information from all the scientists into account but also listen to the locals. They know the island and the weather as good as anyone. ”

Many are likening the situation in Whakatāne to the Pike River Mine disaster in Greymouth. The bodies of those men remain entombed in the mine, nine years after a blast killed 32 men. “I’m old school and it’s been frustrating me,” says BJ Hawthorn, 728, a bobcat driver. “This country has got extremely PC and out of control when it comes to worksafe conditions. Just go and get them. I know guys in the fire brigade here who just want the opportunity to go and get them. If there’s a car on fire you don’t wait until someone puts road cones around it. ”

The families of those with loved ones on the island have begun arriving in Whakatane and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has staff in town to assist them, as well as police liaison officers and victim support.

Paul Quinn, the chair of White Island tours, said iwi were“wrapping the necessary support around affected families and staff, all of whom are understandably distraught ”, and support care packages were being put together for those families as they await news on the recovery mission.

“There are many questions that are left to be answered but our priority at this time is on the welfare of those affected,” Quinn said in a statement.

Whakatāne’s small airport is being prepared to receive the bodies from White Island, and the country’s chief coroner Judge Deborah Marshall is on the ground said she had declared White Island disaster a “mass fatality incident”.

Marshall said she would begin trying to identify bodies by gathering information about what the deceased were wearing on the day they visited the Island, and any jewellery or tattoos they had. She hoped a scene examination would be possible “soon”.

Paramedic Rusty Clarke was on a helicopter that flew to White Island on a rescue mission shortly after the eruption. Hetold RNZthat it looked like a nuclear explosion had taken place.

“Looking down on it, I would have to describe it as Chernobyl,” he said. “It was just a complete, absolute whiteout of the area involved.”

Many in town say they think tourists should never have been allowed on White Island – and never should be again. “The police are being cautious now but it’s been common knowledge that the tourist operators have been putting people lives at risk,” says Hinepare Tawa, 32, a local mother-of-four.

“My belief is that Whakaari is a living being, an ancestor, and I don’t believe she is a person to be disturbed. If the island was closed I wouldn’t be too worried about it because I really have a problem with capitalizing on nature. ”