MICHAEL SCHADE / TWITTER

By Tuesday, six people were confirmed dead. Eight others were feared to have died and about 30 have serious burns.

Reuters

Tourist Michael Schade tweeted pictures of the eruption (seen above and below), saying: “My god, White Island volcano in New Zealand erupted today for first time since 2001.

“My family and I had gotten off it 20 minutes before, were waiting at our boat about to leave when we saw it.”

Tour guides could be seen evacuating people minutes after the eruption.

MICHAEL SCHADE / TWITTER

MICHAEL SCHADE / TWITTER

A photo taken by the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust, below, shows the volcano from the air.

EPA / AUCKLAND RESCUE HELICOPTER TRUST

A video released by New Zealand’s Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS), screenshot seen below, shows the volcano spewing steam and ash.

EPA / GNS

A combination photo from GNS, below, shows the volcano shortly before and after the eruption.

REUTERS / GNS SCIENCE

Coastguard rescue boats are seen, below, next to a marina near Whakatane, about 40km (25 miles) south of White Island.

GETTY IMAGES

Rescue workers treated survivors in Whakatane, on the North Island’s mainland.

REUTERS

On Tuesday, steam continued to rise from the White Island volcano.

GETTY IMAGES

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern (below, center) gave a press conference with Police Supt Bruce Bird (left) and Whakatane mayor Judy Turner.

Ms. Ardern said she shared the “unfathomable grief” of those who had lost family and friends.

GETTY IMAGES

The prime minister also met first responders at the Whakatane fire station.

GETTY IMAGES

A flag in Whakatane could be seen flying at half-mast.

GETTY IMAGES

In Sydney, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed media with Foreign Minister Marise Payne. Twenty-four of the people affected were from Australia.

GETTY IMAGES

People leave tributes at the port of Tauranga, next to the cruise ship which had carried passengers to White Island when it erupted.

GETTY IMAGES

EPA

White Island, also called Whakaari, is the country’s most active volcano, seen below in 1999.

AFP

Tourist Ron Neil visited the island in January 2017 and took the photos below.

RON NEIL

“We were obliged to wear helmets and gas masks as a condition of climbing the volcano,” Mr. Neil said.

“We were only allowed on the island because the risk of eruption that day was measured as 1, on a scale of 1-5.

“Still the sulfur fumes were choking.”

RON NEIL – Mr. Neil is seen above, wearing a gas mask.

RON NEIL

RON NEIL

RON NEIL

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-50711958

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