On Sunday, a volcano erupted on a privately owned island off the coast of New Zealand, taking the lives of at least five people and leaving others in critical condition and still others unaccounted for. As authorities say they cannot reach the island due to the volcano’s unstable condition, it is unclear how many people may still be at risk.
“Police have said fewer than 50 people were on the island when the volcano erupted,” BBC reports. “Deputy Police Commissioner John Tims told reporters that ‘both New Zealand and overseas tourists’ were believed to be involved.”
Tims also informed the press that rescue teams are currently unable to get to the island, due to the continued risk of further eruptions.
At least 23 people have been rescued from the island so far, but how many remain is unclear. BBC notes that aerial reconnaissance flights have not identified any sign of life there. Some of those injured in the eruption, are in critical condition according to Radio New Zealand.
The eruption on the privately owned tourist destination, White Island, also known as Whakaari, began at around 2:11 p.m. local time, BBC reports.
Video filmed by a man whose family had just finished touring the island shows smoke billowing from the volcano.
“My god, White Island volcano in New Zealand erupted today for first time since 2001,” Michael Schade, who took the footage from a boat after having just left the island on a tour with his family. “My family and I had gotten off it 20 minutes before, were waiting at our boat about to leave when we saw it. Boat ride home tending to people our boat rescued was indescribable.”
My god, White Island volcano in New Zealand erupted today for first time since 2001. My family and I had gotten off it 20 minutes before, were waiting at our boat about to leave when we saw it. Boat ride home tending to people our boat rescued was indescribable. #whiteisland pic.twitter.com/QJwWi12Tvt
— Michael Schade (@sch) December 9, 2019
Schade told the BBC he had visited the crater of the volcano just 30 minutes before it erupted. “It was still safe-ish but they were trying to limit the group sizes [of people visiting the volcano].”
“We had just got on the boat … then someone pointed it out and we saw it,” he said. “I was basically just shocked. The boat turned back and we grabbed some people that were waiting on the pier.”
Schade has since posted more footage from before and after the eruption.
“This is so hard to believe,” he wrote in another post with additional footage from the island. “Our whole tour group were literally standing at the edge of the main crater not 30 minutes before. My thoughts with the families of those currently unaccounted for, the people recovering now, and especially the rescue workers…”
This is so hard to believe. Our whole tour group were literally standing at the edge of the main crater not 30 minutes before. My thoughts with the families of those currently unaccounted for, the people recovering now, and especially the rescue workers … pic.twitter.com/mn704hobRk
— Michael Schade (@sch) December 9, 2019
“Those are some of the people put boat picked up,” Schade wrote in another post with additional footage of the aftermath. “Praying for them and their recovery. Woman my mom tended to was in critical condition but seemed strong by the end. The helicopters on the island looked destroyed.”
Those are some of the people put boat picked up. Praying for them and their recovery. Woman my mom tended to was in critical condition but seemed strong by the end.
The helicopters on the island looked destroyed: pic.twitter.com/jds5QBD1yg
— Michael Schade (@sch) December 9, 2019
“[H]ere are the White Island Tour operators rescuing people, timestamp 14:24 (~12-14 minutes after eruption),” he wrote in a post that includes photos of the rescue operation. “Endless gratitude to that crew for stepping up as first responders.”
Last photos: here are the White Island Tour operators rescuing people, timestamp 14:24 (~12-14 minutes after eruption). Endless gratitude to that crew for stepping up as first responders.
I took these and reporters welcome to use with attribution. pic.twitter.com/ITmY1jCezr
— Michael Schade (@sch) December 9, 2019
As noted by BBC, another witness, Brazilian Allessandro Kauffmann, who likewise left the island briefly before the eruption has also posted his account on social media.
“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 wrote in an Instagram post (translation from Portuguese via BBC). “This other tour that arrived right after, unfortunately they did not manage to leave in time, and there were some people that suffered serious burns.”