Heroism, devastation after deadly N. Zealand volcano eruption

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WHAKATANE, New Zealand, Dec 10, 2019 (BSS/ AFP) – Tales of heroism,
devastation and horrifying injuries emerged Tuesday after New Zealand’s
smouldering White Island volcano exploded, killing an estimated 14 people and
turning what should have been an intrepid day trip into a nightmare.

The number of confirmed fatalities rose to six Tuesday night after an
injured person died in an Auckland hospital, police said.

Eight more people were presumed dead after Monday’s eruption, while dozens
of others injured were being treated in hospital burns units across the
country.

Among the 47 people caught on the island during the sudden blast were
tourists from Australia, the United States, Britain, China, Germany and
Malaysia, as well as local tour guides.

As relatives of the missing faced an agonising wait to discover the fate
of their loved ones, police said conditions remained too dangerous for
recovery teams to set foot on the volcano.

Amid questions about how tourists were allowed on the island, police said
they were opening an investigation into the circumstances of the deaths and
injuries — but they backtracked on suggestions it could lead to criminal
charges.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern praised the crews of four rescue helicopters
for landing on the island soon after the eruption.

“Those pilots made an incredibly brave decision under extraordinarily
dangerous circumstances in an attempt to get people out,” she told reporters.

Intensive care paramedic Russell Clark was among those dispatched by
helicopter to the volcano, which sits semi-submerged 50 kilometres (30 miles)
out to sea.

He was confronted by an “overwhelming” and “shocking” scene of devastation.

“We didn’t find any survivors,” he told TVNZ, recalling a dust-covered
helicopter grounded with its rotor blades damaged.

“It was like… I’ve seen the ‘Chernobyl’ mini-series and it was just
everything was just blanketed in ash.

“I can only imagine what it was like for the people there at the time —
they had nowhere to go and an absolutely terrible experience for them.”

New Zealander Geoff Hopkins’ tour boat was leaving the island when a huge
plume burst from the volcano — at what scientists said was supersonic speed
— followed by a “menacing” cloud of grey ash.

Despite the danger, Hopkins said the boat moved closer to the shore after
seeing survivors jump from the island into the sea to escape.

“I don’t think there was anyone that came off who wasn’t badly burnt,” he
told the New Zealand Herald, describing how victims screamed and went into
shock as fellow tourists tried to tend to their blistered skin.

– ‘Very hard day’ –

Top New Zealand health official Pete Watson said 27 of the 34 survivors
were being treated for burns to more than 71 percent of their bodies.

“It’s important not to underestimate the gravity of the injuries
suffered,” he said.

After an initial rush, concerns about further eruptions, poisonous gases
and choking ash stalled efforts to recover bodies.

The risks were underscored Tuesday when a large-but-harmless 5.0 magnitude
earthquake struck to the east of the disaster zone.

Ardern said New Zealanders were mourning alongside those from overseas
whose nationals were caught up in the disaster.

“To those who have lost or are missing family and friends, we share in
your unfathomable grief and in your sorrow,” the prime minister said, just
months after managing another national crisis during Christchurch’s deadly
twin mosque attacks.

Many of the victims are believed to be Australian and Prime Minister Scott
Morrison warned his compatriots to brace for the worst.

He said there were fears that three of the five dead were Australian, and
another eight citizens were unaccounted for.

“This is a very, very hard day for a lot of Australian families whose
loved ones have been caught up in this terrible, terrible tragedy,” he told
reporters in Sydney.

The Malaysian government said one of its citizens had died and two British
women were confirmed among those injured.

With the island off-limits, Adelaide man Brian Dallow was anxiously
awaiting news about his son Gavin, daughter-in-law Lisa, and her daughter Zoe
Hosking, 15.

“All we know at the moment is they were on the island and they’re been
confirmed as missing,” he told AFP. “As far as we know they didn’t get back
on the ship.”

The eruption at White Island — also known as Whakaari — occurred on
Monday afternoon, spewing a thick plume of white ash 3.6 kilometres (12,000
feet) into the sky.

At the time, visitors included a group of more than 30 from a Royal
Caribbean cruise ship, the Ovation of the Seas, which left Sydney on a 12-day
voyage last week.

The island in the picturesque Bay of Plenty attracts more than 17,000
visitors every year and is marketed as an experience for the adventurous
traveller.

But the volcano’s threat level had been raised in recent days, leading to
questions about whether tour groups should have been allowed to visit.