2019 Whakaari/White Island Eruption

About

2019 Whakaari / White Island Explotion refers to a volcano on island Whakaari, or "White Island" in New Zealand's northeastern Bay of Plenty region that erupted on December 9th, 2019. There were 47 people on the island at the time. Fourteen people have been confirmed dead, and several other are missing presumed dead and others serious injuries.

Background

White Island is an active stratovolcano located on the coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It had been monitored by New Zealand's official earthquake information body Geonet and was under alert level 2, meaning moderate-to-high levels of volcanic unrest, after a November 18th earthquake in the area.^[1]

Developments

The volcano erupted on December 9th 2019 at 2:11 P.M. with little warning to alert those nearby about the impending eruption. 47 people who were on the island were passengers on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship. Tour operators and these vessels rescued about 23 people from the island before it was officially declared unsafe. Helicopter pilots conducted rescue missions to the island in their helicopters, bringing back twelve survivors.^[2]

Casualties

Officials declared that of the forty-seven people were on the island at the moment of the eruption: five were killed, thirty-four injured and rescued, while eight are missing and presumed dead. Over the following several days, the death toll rose to 15.^[3]

Responses

On December 10th, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that "This is a very, very hard day for many families whose loved ones have been caught up in this terrible, terrible tragedy" and announced that an Australian Federal Police forensic team was sent to New Zealand to assist. Professor Raymond Cas called the event a "disaster waiting to happen."^[4]

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