New Zealand - White Island volcano erupts, 19 dead, many injuries from cruise excursion, 9 Dec 2019 *charges*

[SouthAussie]

And life goes on.....

Current position of Ovation of the Seas:
Under way from Tauranga to Wellington

• Departure was 19 hrs 5 min ago. (at 18:00 h local time)
• Arrival will be in 17 hrs 55 min. (at 07:00 h local time)

Current position Ovation of the Seas Ship's position

I just spoke on the phone with my DD who lives on NZ's north island. She said not so much is being said about the tragedy there, although of course they are all aware of it.

The ship had come from Australia and was mostly filled with Aussies, and the NZers are so accustomed to earth tremors (about 12 each day) that they are not shocked - although they are saddened.

When we spoke of the risk of visiting the island/crater, my DD's comment was that she and her hubby visited a live volcano in Hawaii - at their own risk - and that the Hawaiian volcanoes are open to the public despite the ongoing activity.

 

[they'll get you]

This is known as New Zealand’s most active volcano.

 

[they'll get you]

This shows you a guided tour of the volcano and exactly what was being seen before the eruption yesterday.

Silly in the beginning but I found it very interesting.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

DM has several articles on this horrific tragedy so far:


US newlyweds, 32 and 36, on honeymoon in New Zealand suffer severe burns in deadly volcano eruption | Daily Mail Online

New Zealand volcano survivors reveal how the escaped White Island moments before it erupted | Daily Mail Online

New Zealand's White Island volcano eruption 'could trigger deadly landslides and TSUNAMIS' | Daily Mail Online

Tour guide among five killed by New Zealand Whakaari volcano | Daily Mail Online

 

[they'll get you]

White Island Tours operators risked their lives to save people. Their FB is saying one guide lost his life.
Prayers for the newlyweds Lauren and Matthew Urey, as he has 80% burns to his body.

 

[SouthAussie]

Sixteen Aussies have been listed by the Red Cross as 'unaccounted for'. They are named at this link. Ages from 15 to 68 years old.

With 8 people still said to be missing, I would imagine that some of our Aussies are in hospital and have yet to be identified.

My DD (nurse) sadly opined that we will lose any number of hospitalised people with the kind of injuries they have sustained.

Deputy commissioner John Tims on Tuesday afternoon said 47 people had been on the island.
• 24 from Australia
• Nine from the US
• Five from New Zealand
• Four from Germany
• Two from the UK
• Two from China
• One from Malaysia

Red Cross lists ‘missing’ Australians

 

[SouthAussie]

The Guardian is running ongoing commentary over the hours .... usually a good resource if anyone wants to keep up with what is happening.

New Zealand police to investigate volcano eruption - as it happened

 

[they'll get you]

Police will open a criminal investigation into the deaths at Whakaari/White Island.

A day after the eruption, politicians are facing questions on why tours of the volcanic island — which had in recent weeks appeared closer to eruption — were allowed.

Whakaari/White Island: Police and WorkSafe launch investigations

 

[they'll get you]

Don’t go after the tour operator, go for the throats of the egg-heads who are now jumping up and down saying they knew this was going to happen.
The tour operator employees lost their lives. Obviously they didn't know this was going to happen.

 

[Pi Thoughts]

Auckland’s Buttle family owns White Island, also known as Whakaari, one of a few privately-owned islands throughout New Zealand, property records show.

James Buttle said this morning, “We are devastated.”

His brother, speaking from Whakatane, made a statement later on Tuesday.

“We are all shocked by what has occurred on Whakaari yesterday and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy,” Peter Buttle said.

White Island owners ‘hit hard’

 

[FrostOwl]

Prayers for the newlyweds Lauren and Matthew Urey, as he has 80% burns to his body.

To have 80% burns means that he has burns over most of the body, for example having burns on a whole arm is 9% of the body, or a whole leg is 18% burns. There are three degrees of burn damage, from something similar to a bad sunburn, or blisters, to a full dermal burn where all the skin layers are damaged. Add to skin damage, burns in the air-ways from breathing in super-hot air, I fear that several of the patients at the burn units will not survive, regardless of being given the best care they can get.
I haven't worked at a burns unit, but I used to write case records for a burns unit, so I know what a very long and very painful time those patients with the worst burns have in front of them, for example having to be under full anesthesia when re-dressing the burns. For the worst cases it means months at a hospital, and there is always a risk of infections as long as the skin isn't healed (or scarred).

 

[SouthAussie]

Oh, the city I live in has a little glimmer good news. One of our missing people has been located in a NZ hospital. I believe the TV news flash said it is 15 year old Zoe.


I see that the flowers are starting at the port where the ship still sat.



New Zealand police to investigate volcano eruption - as it happened

 

[Pi Thoughts]

Oh, the city I live in has a little glimmer good news. One of our missing people has been located in a NZ hospital. I believe the TV news flash said it is 15 year old Zoe.


I see that the flowers are starting at the port where the ship still sat.

View attachment 219602 View attachment 219603

New Zealand police to investigate volcano eruption - as it happened

According to this article it appears that Lisa has been located with her husband and daughter sadly still missing....

The Advertiser reports Adelaide engineer Lisa Hosking, 48, whose husband and daughter are still missing, has been found critically injured in hospital with severe burns to her body.
Red Cross lists ‘missing’ Australians

 

[SouthAussie]

According to this article it appears that Lisa has been located with her husband and daughter sadly still missing....

The Advertiser reports Adelaide engineer Lisa Hosking, 48, whose husband and daughter are still missing, has been found critically injured in hospital with severe burns to her body.
Red Cross lists ‘missing’ Australians

Oh ... thanks. Maybe not so new news in the news flash then. I had read about Lisa before, and she is not on the Red Cross 'unaccounted for' list.

Maybe we will have more updates in the morning.

 

[they'll get you]

8:33pm Dec 10
Aust. time.

A sixth person has died as a result of the volcano eruption on New Zealand's Whakaari/White Island.
NZ Police said tonight the person was being treated at Middlemore Hospital, but did not provide more detail about the victim
New Zealand volcano: Sixth person dies in hospital, missing Adelaide woman found alive

 

[they'll get you]

All our burns units are full to capacity. Our plastic surgeons, hospital, anaesthetists are doing their best to treat the many who have sustained injuries. Twenty-seven of the 31 have suffered greater than 71 percent body surface burns," Dr Watson said.

New Zealand volcano: Sixth person dies in hospital, missing Adelaide woman found alive

"The volume of work facing our national burns unit in Middlemore Hospital in one day is equivalent to the normal workload they would see in a typical year in the burns unit."

 

[they'll get you]

Scientists believe the eruption that claimed at least five lives on New Zealand's White Island came with very little warning for tourists at the location.

The alert levels, which range from zero to five were still pretty low and experts who visit the island regularly have been monitoring it with various remotely operated instruments,"

 

[they'll get you]

Does anyone know how travel insurance works? Is it usually capped or unlimited? These poor souls will need a lifetime of specialised medical treatments.


Ultramarathon runner Turia Pitt, burnt during race in Kimberley, WA, reaches multi-million-dollar settlement. Photo: Turia Pitt suffered burns to 60 per cent of her body when trapped in a fire

 

[IceIce9]

The last fatalities from a volcano eruption that I can remember was the one in Japan that killed 60+ people hiking. As I recall, that volcano didn’t give much warning either.

 

[SouthAussie]

The group in this webcam photo - recorded by the GeoNet service at 2:10pm - were right in the crater. The volcano erupted within one minute later ... by 2:11pm. And the webcam was knocked out of action.

Within a minute this camera was destroyed. There are fears for the people in its final frame