In New Zealand, a volcanic eruption occurred on the island of White Island, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.
According to the geological service GeoNet, a short-term eruption of the volcano was recorded 14:11 local time.
Shortly after the state of emergency, GeoNet lowered the level of the volcanic threat to three points out of five possible, which corresponds to the mark “small eruption”. The aviation security code is set at “orange”.
According to GeoNet, forecasts for the development of the situation remain uncertain, but at present there are no signs of an escalation of the eruption.
New Zealand police confirmed the death of five people on the island, a few more people went missing. The department initially had information about the stay of hundreds of tourists on White Island, but later it turned out that there were no more than 50 people on the island.
Police can confirm five people are now confirmed to have died in the White Island volcanic eruption.
Our sincere condolences are with their family and friends.
A number of people have been injured and taken to hospital.
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The police noted that they continue to search for accurate data on the number of people on White Island through several channels of information. It is noteworthy that the agency refers to GeoNet data, according to which the current situation on the island excludes the possibility of representatives of emergency services staying on it.
“We are reviewing the assessment of the situation as information becomes available, but tonight the police will not be able to access the island,” the police said in a statement.
However, later emergency services examined the island from the air. After this operation, the police concluded that all survivors had left White Island during the previously announced evacuation.
“Based on the information we have, we believe that there are no survivors on the island,” the agency said in a subsequent statement. Allegedly, the police are working to determine the exact number of deaths except five people whose deaths became known earlier.
By dawn, a New Zealand Armed Forces ship will arrive at the island’s borders, from which drones and other observational equipment will be launched to assess the situation on White Island.
The Russian Embassy in New Zealand called on compatriots in the disaster area to strictly follow the recommendations of the New Zealand National Emergency Agency. The agency advises not to leave the premises and to keep doors and windows closed due to the risk of ash poisoning, and also to use respiratory protection - a dust mask or improvised means.
In addition, it is recommended that you follow news bulletins on radio, television or the Internet.
The volcano on the island of White Island is the most active in New Zealand. Since the discovery of the object in 1769 by the traveler James Cook, the volcano has been producing volcanic gas almost continuously.
The island on which the volcano is located has a circular shape and a diameter of about 2 km. The object is open for tourists, it is actively conducting research. The last time a small eruption of White Island volcano occurred in late 2012 - early 2013.
Victims of volcanic eruptions
One of the last major volcanic eruptions that led to the victims occurred in the summer of 2018 in Guatemala. Then as a result of the disaster killed more than 125 people. During the eruption, pillars of smoke and ash rose to a height of up to ten kilometers.
In total, a natural disaster affected 1.7 million residents of the state. The country's Foreign Ministry formally appealed to the world community to provide assistance after an emergency.
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Prior to this, a major eruption of the Kilauea volcano occurred in May 2018 in Hawaii. US authorities have declared the island state a disaster zone. The evacuation affected 10 thousand people, lava flows destroyed at least 77 houses.
In September 2014, the Ontake volcano erupted in Japan, which was accompanied by the release of stones with a diameter of 10 centimeters or more with a fall speed of about 300 km / h. Due to the emergency, 57 people died, most of whom were victims of a fall of stones.
In January of that year, 16 people died due to the eruption of Sinabung volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Evacuation was required by 26 thousand local residents.