White Island volcano: People 'unaccounted for' after New Zealand eruption – BBC News, Bbc.com

What happened at the volcano?)

The eruption of White Island began around ******************************** (local time************************************************: (GMT).

Visitor Michael Schade – who was on a boat leaving the island after a morning tour – filmed a thick plume of ash and smoke as the volcano erupted.

He told the BBC he was at the crater just minutes before the eruption.

“It was still safe-ish but they were trying to limit the group sizes [of people visiting the volcano].”

Describing the eruption, he said: “We had just got on the boat … then someone pointed it out and we saw it. I was basically just shocked.

“The boat turned back and we grabbed some people that were waiting on the pier.”

Another witness, Brazilian Allessandro Kauffmann, narrowly missed the eruption.

“There were two tours that went to this volcano today. One of them was ours, which was the first. We left five minutes before the volcano erupted, “he posted on Instagram in Portuguese.

“This other tour that arrived right after, unfortunately they did not manage to leave in time, and there were some people that Seriously burns. “

A live feed from the volcano showed a group of visitors inside the crater before images went dark.

Who was on the island?

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there were “a number” of tourists on or around the island, both from New Zealand and overseas.

“I know there will be a huge amount of concern and anxiety for those who have loved ones at the island at that time – and I can assure them police are doing everything they can,” she said.

She said police had launched a search and rescue operation but falling ash was hampering attempts to get to the site.

Deputy police commissioner John Tims said “at this stage , it is too dangerous for police and rescue services to go to the island, “adding that the island was” covered in ash and volcanic material “.

“We continue to assess the conditions that would allow us to go on to the island … we are taking expert advice with regards to the safety of any rescue attempt.”

Police initially said there were 100 People on or near the island, then later revised down the number to (***************************************************. ******** Some of the visitors are thought to be passengers from cruise ship Ovation of the Seas, owned by Royal Caribbean. It is currently at port in Tauranga, a coastal city near White Island.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australians had “been caught up in this terrible event “, adding that authorities were” working to determine their wellbeing. “

Was the eruption expected?

On 3 December, geological hazard monitoring website GeoNet warned “the volcano may be entering a period where eruptive activity is more likely than normal, “although they added” the current level of activity does not pose a direct hazard to visitors. “

Associate Professor at the University of Auckland, Jan Lindsay, said the alert level was recently raised from one to two. “There was a heightened level of unrest and everyone was aware,” she said.

“It [the volcano] has a persistently active hydrothermal system .. .if gases build up under a block of clay or mud they can be released quite suddenly, “Prof Lindsay added.

” It’s possible that there’s no magma involved, that it’s just a phreatic eruption – a steam eruption. We don’t know yet. “

When asked if visitors should have been on the island , Prof Linsday said: “It’s a difficult question. It’s often in a state of heightened unrest.

” It’s a privately-owned island and with lots of private tour operators. It is not part of the conservation estate – and so not under government control.

“GNS [New Zealand’s geoscience institute] put out their alert bulletins and have good communication with tour companies, and they know what the risk is.”

White Island has seen several eruptions over the years, most recently in (**********************************************, but no one was hurt.

Police are warning people living near the area to “be aware of the potential for ashfall” and to stay indoors.

The eruption is not expected to affect North Island.

Seismologist Ken Gledhill said: “It was kind of almost like a throat clearing kind of eruption – and that’s why material probably won’t have made it to mainland New Zealand.