Cruise ship passengers trapped in NZ volcanic eruption

White Island. a volcano off the Bay of Plenty coast, has erupted, trapping a number of visitors from the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas.

It's a reminder how close New Zealand is to our geological roots.

Unfortunately, adventurous tourists dare to venture where nature might rise to hit them

From the Guardian

• One person has been killed, and that figure is expected to rise, after a volcanic eruption on New Zealand’s Whakaari, also known as White Island.
• Up to 26 people are still unaccounted for and the island is too dangerous for police and rescue crews to access. Police deputy commissioner John Tims said there “are likely to be more” casualties.
• Fewer than 50 people were on the island at the time of the eruption, and 23 have been taken off. Seven were suffering critical injuries.
• Between 30 and 38 of those people were passengers on the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas, as confirmed by the chief executive of the New Zealand Cruise Association.
• The nationalities of those on the island are not yet known but Australia’s department of foreign affairs said it was making “urgent enquiries”.
• Royal Caribbean, the owner of Ovation of the Seas, confirmed guests were touring the island and asked for “prayers” for those affected.
• The eruption occurred at about 2:11pm local time, 48km off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, on the north island.
• Prime minister Jacinda Ardern said the situation was “significant and evolving” and that an active search and rescue operation was under way.
• Whakaari/White Island is New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, and is a popular tourist destination and scientific research site. It last experienced a short-lived eruption in 2016.