New Zealand volcano death toll rises to 16 as recovery team unable to get to remains to two people still missing
NEW Zealand’s volcano death toll has leapt to 16 as a specialist recovery team struggles to recover the remains of two people still missing.
The White Island eruption toll may rise further as more than two dozen people are still hospitalised across New Zealand and Australia, most with severe burn injuries, officials warn.
New Zealand police confirmed the 16th victim, a man, died at Sydney’s Concord Hospital, one of several Australian hospitals where survivors suffering from severe burns were being treated.
He had been in a critical condition before dying yesterday.
The NZ police said: “The official number of deceased is now 16 – this includes 15 people who died in New Zealand and one person in Australia.
“This person will come under Australia’s coronial jurisdiction.
“As a result, New Zealand authorities will not be responsible for releasing this person’s name.”
Two other patients remained at Concord Hospital in a critical condition, while one further patient’s condition has been upgraded to “stable”.
The New South Wales Department of Health is not releasing the name of the volcano’s 16th victim, or his age, at the request of the man’s family, who have asked for privacy.
New Zealand recovery teams returned to White Island on Sunday, but were unable to locate two remaining bodies in their search, cops said.
Two four-person teams were taken in by chopper and searched a location thought to be where one of the bodies might be.
They wore heavy protective clothing due to the toxic air and gases present on the island as a result of last Monday’s eruption.
However, their breathing apparatus allowed them to search for only 75 minutes.
The searchers were unable to find either body and returned to the mainland where they underwent decontamination.
SEARCH TO CONTINUE
New Zealand Police national operations commander John Tims said the search will continue.
“We have always anticipated recovering all bodies from the island, and we remain deeply committed to that goal, to allow families some closure,” he said.
“We are now debriefing, reassessing and coming up with a new plan going forward.”
On Friday, six bodies were successfully retrieved from the island by a New Zealand military team and taken to the mainland for disaster victim identification.
Five victims have so far been named, four of whom are Australians.
The first to be named was Krystal Browitt, a veterinary nursing student from Melbourne, Australia, who turned 21 on November 29.
SEVERE BURNS
On Sunday, Zoe Hosking, 15, and her stepfather Gavin Dallow, 53, both from Adelaide, were confirmed as dead. Lisa Dallow, Zoe’s mother, is being treated for severe burns.
Anthony Langford, 51, of Sydney, has also been confirmed dead. He was travelling with his wife Kristine Langford and their children Jesse, 19, and Winona, 17.
Jesse survived the eruption and was identified in a New Zealand hospital on Tuesday evening. His mother and sister are still unaccounted for.
The fourth person identified on Sunday is New Zealand resident Tipene Maangi, 24.
Two British women were among those admitted to hospital in New Zealand after the volcano erupted.
All 13 Australians who suffered burns were transported to hospitals around Australia for treatment, at least eight of whom are reported to be in a critical condition.
‘GLOW IN CRATER’
In an update on volcanic activity at White Island, GeoNet said yesterday that overnight web camera images “recorded a glow from the vent area, confirming high heat flow is present.
“This has been confirmed today by an aerial observation this morning that noted an active crater is emitting volcanic gas at a high rate, and very high – over 200C – temperature.
“Magma is degassing at shallow depths and the situation remains highly volatile.”
The organisation is updating its forecast on further eruptions, but is hampered as “some monitoring equipment is partially buried under ash and the batteries at one site have failed.
“This has affected one of our three cameras.”