Volcano Erupts in New Zealand

[Ozfactor]

Devastating eruption, must have been terrifying for those on the volcano when it erupted and for those who witnessed it.
My thoughts go out to those who survived and families of those who did not survive x

https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/white-island-volcano-eruption-plumes-of-smoke-reports-of-injuries-in-bay-of-plenty/news-story/5cb1553515e0da994d4ad3587df99ff8

At least five people have died and a massive emergency operation is under way after a volcano erupted on New Zealand’s White Island.

Police in New Zealand said up to 23 people have been taken off the island and it’s “unclear” how many are still there, but it is a “double digit” figure and could be about 27 people.

There are reports 24 Australians were on the island at the time of the volcanic eruption.

Deputy police commissioner John Tims confirmed tonight to reporters that five of the people rescued have died and the victims are of a “range of nationalities”.

Police do not know if there are people on the island alive tonight and no communication has been established, Mr Tims said

[+susieice]

At least 5 are dead and 8 are missing after a volcano erupted on an island in New Zealand. More than 30 are hospitalized. Police do not believe any of the missing survived the eruption. The island is showing no signs of life.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/12/08/white-island-whakaari-eruption-new-zealand-jacinda-ardern/

[+susieice]

Many tourists were affected by the eruption on New Zealand's White Island. There were 37 people and 1 crew member of the Royal Caribbean ship "Ovation" who were on the island at the time. Authorities are saying that the island is unstable and the environment is considered unsafe for anyone to return to the island yet. Pictures in this link.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/new-zealand-volcano-white-island-tourist-no-signs-of-life

Edited December 9, 2019 by susieice

[The Eternal Flame]

It was already posted dear.

[+Hammerclaw]

Why does any government allow tourist excursions on an active volcano? 

[Essan]

5 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

Why does any government allow tourist excursions on an active volcano? 

Free will

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-50710998

[+Hammerclaw]

11 minutes ago, Essan said:

Free will

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-50710998

Government irresponsibility.

[Essan]

Just now, Hammerclaw said:

Government irresponsibility.

If you believe the government should control your lives, because they know best    

Tragic accident.   But better a world it can happen than one where we can only do what we are told.

[+Hammerclaw]

Just now, Essan said:

If you believe the government should control your lives, because they know best    

Tragic accident.   But better a world it can happen than one where we can only do what we are told.

What are you, some kind of nut? At least one of the tourists didn't even know the volcano was active, much less New Zealand's most active one. A privately owned volcano? That's not freedom--that's idiocy.

[Kismit]

37 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

Why does any government allow tourist excursions on an active volcano? 

The eruption warning risk was sitting at two, it appears to have been a steam eruption as opposed to a tectonic eruption which is largely unpredictable. We also have popular ski fields on active volcanos Volcanic eruption brings back memories for earlier eruption victim. 

Definition of an active Volcano is: An active volcano is a volcano that has had at least one eruption during the past 10,000 years. An active volcano might be erupting or dormant.

courtesy of https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcanoes/faq/active_erupting.html

We live in the shadow of volcanos every day, I live in an area that was once described to me as if you look at a mountain and it looks like a volcano , then it was once a volcano. The Southern alps sit on one of the largest fault lines in the world. Mother nature will strike when and where she wants to and she does not always show us the courtesy of pre-warning us. You could be sitting in your lounge and have a sink hole open up under you anywhere in the world at any time.

This is what white Island looks like on most days (note steam rising from the crater) it is hard to believe that a person would not be aware that it is an active Volcano.

We have very strict O.S.H. (occupational Health and safety) laws, O.S.H. reports must be filled and filled for every trip and outing, passenger safety could only be offered with a full disclosure of the dangers involved and waivers for guaranteed safety issued. If that didn't happen I would be highly surprised.

This is a truly tragic event and is looking like the death of up to 13 people including guides,  and possibly one as young as 7. Search and rescue where reporting no signs of life and it is being reffered to as a recovery mission and not a rescue mission at this stage.

[Arbenol]

55 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

Why does any government allow tourist excursions on an active volcano? 

It's not as simple as that. New Zealand has many active volcanos and activity levels are continually updated. The question is more about whether access to White Island should have been suspended due to increased activity over the past week or so. 

You can climb active volcanos all over the world and people who choose to go these places should be aware of the risk and take some personal responsibility.

The North Island of New Zealand has many areas that are volcanically active, and there's a risk of injury or death just by walking through parks in some places. Our main ski fields are all on active volcanos.

 

[Essan]

41 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

What are you, some kind of nut? At least one of the tourists didn't even know the volcano was active, much less New Zealand's most active one. A privately owned volcano? That's not freedom--that's idiocy.

No, I believe in doing what I want, not what the govt tells me    

What next?  Ban everyone from climbing every hill?  Swimming in every sea?  Crossing every road?  Because an accident might happen?

[Kismit]

Also

Hawian Lava tours

it appears that even the US government does not stop people from visiting (or living under) active volcano's.

Edited to fix broken link.

[Kismit]

37 minutes ago, Arbenol said:

It's not as simple as that. New Zealand has many active volcanos and activity levels are continually updated. The question is more about whether access to White Island should have been suspended due to increased activity over the past week or so. 

You can climb active volcanos all over the world and people who choose to go these places should be aware of the risk and take some personal responsibility.

The North Island of New Zealand has many areas that are volcanically active, and there's a risk of injury or death just by walking through parks in some places. Our main ski fields are all on active volcanos. 

 

There are 50 Volcanos surrounding Auckland alone with the last recorded eruption only 600 years ago.

Aucklands volcanic field : EQC

and it is true that the warning level had lifted in the last week, I don't know wether or not tours should have been halted but I suspect that there is a little bit of push to keep the tourism business running even with increased risks.

[Grey Area]

1 hour ago, Hammerclaw said:

Government irresponsibility.

There are plenty of governments that allow such things.

I mean millions live on the San Andreas fault, millions travel every year to Yellow Stone, the Italian authorities will even ferry you up Mt Etna by cable car.

I guess all governments are irresponsible in allowing people the freedom of risk assessing their own actions, otherwise where does it stop, house arrest in case you get struck by lightening? 

[+susieice]

Yellowstone is the crater of the largest active supervolcano on Earth. Yet people ignore the posted warnings all the time. The hot springs can literally boil you alive in seconds. Parts of the park can close quickly because fumaroles can open up at any time as the volcano may vent and the toxic gases can overcome people and wildlife alike. The park authorities know the areas that could be most subject to this and will close parts of the park as needed, but they could open anywhere, at any time. It's up to you to listen to them and heed the warnings. And stop shoving garbage into the geysers. 

https://www.nps.gov/articles/fumaroles.htm

The activity may have increased slightly in recent weeks but not enough to cause alarm. And if, like Kismet said, this was a steam eruption, the volcano just vented. There's no way to really know when this will happen. The volcano isn't erupting. It's belching so to speak. It doesn't necessarily mean the volcano is going to erupt any time soon.

https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-can-we-tell-when-a-volcano-will-erupt?qt-news_science_products=0#qt-news_science_products

Edited December 10, 2019 by susieice

[+susieice]

Australian news just released that more than 20 Australians who were believed to be on or around the island, including a family of 4, are still missing.

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/victim-of-white-island-volcanic-eruption-named-as-local-tour-guide/news-story/92f7bb5a85a8c1755a2329036faa432d

[Arbenol]

2 hours ago, Kismit said:

There are 50 Volcanos surrounding Auckland alone with the last recorded eruption only 600 years ago.

Aucklands volcanic field : EQC

and it is true that the warning level had lifted in the last week, I don't know wether or not tours should have been halted but I suspect that there is a little bit of push to keep the tourism business running even with increased risks.

I drive past several of them every day. A constant reminder that we're only here by geologic consent.

I do have some concerns that tourist dollars were a predominant issue when considering access to the island. I have no doubt that those questions will be asked.

[+susieice]

People are told the volcano is live and that there is always a risk of activity.

https://www.businessinsider.com/new-zealand-volcano-killed-5-people-not-predictable-2019-12

But according to Shane Cronin, an Earth scientist at the University of Auckland, White Island is one of several volcanoes in New Zealand with a known potential to produce sudden explosive eruptions at any time. And unfortunately, they're very hard to predict.

"We don't normally see these eruptions coming, no matter how much we would like to," he wrote in The Conversation.

Tour operators make the final decision about whether to take visitors to the privately owned White Island, where access is controlled through permits, according to the New Zealand Herald. Nearly 10,000 visitors a year travel to Whakaari.

The island's major tour company, White Island Tours, promises"amazing colors and the sense of awe you get by stepping foot onto a live volcano." According to the company's website, boats travel to the island "every day that the weather will let us, except for Christmas Day."

But White Island Tours does warn that "passengers should be aware that there is always a risk of eruptive activity regardless of the alert level."

Edited December 10, 2019 by susieice

[Tatetopa]

4 hours ago, Hammerclaw said:

Why does any government allow tourist excursions on an active volcano? 

The island is privately owned so it says.  The volcano is always active.  Up until now I guess all of those paying tourists just thought, "Whats the worst that can happen?" Now we know. 

[+Hammerclaw]

3 hours ago, Arbenol said:

It's not as simple as that. New Zealand has many active volcanos and activity levels are continually updated. The question is more about whether access to White Island should have been suspended due to increased activity over the past week or so. 

You can climb active volcanos all over the world and people who choose to go these places should be aware of the risk and take some personal responsibility.

The North Island of New Zealand has many areas that are volcanically active, and there's a risk of injury or death just by walking through parks in some places. Our main ski fields are all on active volcanos.

 

You're private industry put those people in harm's way for profit and they paid with their lives. Deal with it.

[+Hammerclaw]

26 minutes ago, Tatetopa said:

The island is privately owned so it says.  The volcano is always active.  Up until now I guess all of those paying tourists just thought, "Whats the worst that can happen?" Now we know. 

Oh yes and now that people have died they may or may not do something about. Thrill seekers with money burning holes in their pockets are hard to turn away. 

Edited December 10, 2019 by Hammerclaw

[+Hammerclaw]

2 hours ago, Grey Area said:

There are plenty of governments that allow such things.

I mean millions live on the San Andreas fault, millions travel every year to Yellow Stone, the Italian authorities will even ferry you up Mt Etna by cable car.

I guess all governments are irresponsible in allowing people the freedom of risk assessing their own actions, otherwise where does it stop, house arrest in case you get struck by lightening? 

Never said it was an isolated case. Post 21 sums up my own opinion. People get killed all the time in our parks sticking their necks out, going off trail, climbing fences, crossing barriers. To me, allowing private industry to sell this sort of potential death as a thrill ride crosses the line. Pointing out other instances of it doesn't sway my opinion in the least.

[Arbenol]

1 hour ago, Hammerclaw said:

You're private industry put those people in harm's way for profit and they paid with their lives. Deal with it.

I am private industry?????

I think I know what you mean. But you've moved the goalposts. I actually agree with you here. I even alluded to such in an earlier post. My response to you was to this comment:

"Why does any government allow tourist excursions on an active volcano?"

That's a wholly different comment to the one above.

[Raptor Witness]

7 hours ago, Hammerclaw said:

Government irresponsibility.

It’s a private island.