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White Island Volcano erupts in New Zealand: Five people killed with eight missing presumed dead; 27 of the 31 survivors suffer horrific burns - UPDATES

Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro
euronews
Mon, 09 Dec 2019 07:49 UTC
White Island volcano, New Zealand

White Island volcano, New Zealand
A volcano erupted in New Zealand on Monday leaving at least one dead and seven tourists critically injured. Police said there could be more fatalities. 23 people have been transported to shore and over 27 remain on the island.

"We are working to confirm the numbers involved. At this stage, it is too dangerous for police and rescue services to go to the island. However, we continue to assess the conditions which would allow us to go onto the island", Police Deputy Commissioner John Tims said.

CEO of the New Zealand Cruise Association Kevin O'Sullivan confirmed that 30 to 38 of the victims are passengers of the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas.

The eruption began about 2:11 p.m. local time (0111 GMT) on White Island, about 50 kilometres from the east coast of North Island, authorities said, sending up smoke visible from the mainland.

Police is working with National Emergency Management Agency to coordinate the search and rescue operation.

Comment: Just a day earlier, New Zealand experienced a record in lighting strikes:
In the 24 hours leading up to 7am this morning, 109,000 lightning strikes were recorded over New Zealand and our surrounding waters, with 18,000 over the land.

Previously our records had only seen 44,000 strikes over both land and sea.
Update: New Zealand Herald reports:
At least five people are dead after Whakaari/White Island erupted today, and "a number" of people are still unaccounted for.

National Operation Commander Deputy Commissioner John Tims told a press conference at 9.10pm that New Zealanders and tourists are involved.

A number of the tourists are from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship, but police cannot confirm nationalities.

Police do not know if there are people on the island alive tonight. The five people dead are people who were taken off the island today. The other 18 rescued all have injuries to some degree.

Update: On 10th Dec. RT reports:
Burn centers across New Zealand are full to capacity as more than two dozen victims are being treated for horrific wounds suffered in a volcanic eruption on White Island, leaving many with burns on over 70 percent of their bodies.

At least 27 of the 31 people injured in the volcanic blast that rocked the island on Monday suffered severe burns covering over two-thirds of their skin, the government said in a statement, noting the possibility that some of the injured will not survive.

"All our burns units are full to capacity. Our plastic surgeons, hospital, anesthetists are doing their best to treat the many who have sustained injuries," said acting Ministry of Health adviser Dr Pete Watson. "Twenty-seven of the 31 have suffered greater than 71 percent body surface burns."

With five already confirmed killed, police said eight people are still missing and likely did not make it, leaving only those who were able to flee immediately among the survivors.

"I would strongly suggest that there is no one that has survived on the island," New Zealand Deputy Commissioner John Tims told reporters, adding: "We are doing everything we can to get back to that island."


Tims also noted that a criminal probe had been opened into the disaster, focused on the "circumstances of death and injuries on White Island," which he said would be carried out alongside a separate investigation by regulatory agency WorkSafe.

Meanwhile less than a day after the volcanic eruption a strong 5.3-magnitude earthquake shook New Zealand's North Island.

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Seismograph

5.3-magnitude earthquake hits New Zealand day after fatal volcano eruption


RT
Tue, 10 Dec 2019 01:13 UTC
New Zealand quake
© GeoNet
The earthquake struck 25 kilometres south of Gisborne, but was felt across the island just one day after a deadly volcano eruption on White Island
A strong 5.3-magnitude quake shook New Zealand's North Island, just hours after a lethal volcanic eruption killed five and left eight others missing. No damage or casualties have been reported following the latest tremor.

The quake struck at a shallow depth of some 25km (15 miles) around Gisborne on Tuesday, about 150km (93 miles) south of the recently erupted submarine volcano on White Island.

While local news reports said the seism could be felt in neighboring towns - including Cambridge, Hunterville, Dannevirke and Wellington - there are currently no reports of damage or injuries, nor any danger of a tsunami, according to Gisborne Civil Defense Manager Wiremu Tamati.

Comment: White Island Volcano erupts in New Zealand: At least five people dead & cruise ship tourists missing - UPDATE

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Attention

Eruption warning for Russian city as volcano Avachinsky sitting on the Pacific ring of fire wakes up

Olga Gertcyk
The Siberian Times
Mon, 09 Dec 2019 20:19 UTC
Avachinsky
© Artyom Vinogradov
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city of 180,000 is just 26 km from 'waking' Avachinsky on Pacific's ring of fire.
Avachinsky - also known as Avacha - and its big sister volcano Koryaksky tower over the Kamchatka capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, giving it one of the most spectacular city views anywhere in the world.

Recent days have seen signs of activity on stratovolcano Avachinsky - 2,741 metres (8,993 ft) - prompting warnings to locals and tourists to stay away.

Vulcanarium website warned: 'Today, December 9, early in the morning, the first outbreaks were recorded in the crater of the volcano.

'Avacha has high gas contamination, you cannot get to the top.'

Comment: Another volcano on the ring of fire erupted just today: White Island Volcano erupts in New Zealand: At least five people dead & cruise ship tourists missing - UPDATE

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Attention

Smoke and ash rise from Sakurajima Volcano in Japan following series of eruptions


Yahoo! News
Fri, 29 Nov 2019 08:11 UTC
Sakurajima Volcano

Sakurajima Volcano
Smoke was seen rising from the Sakurajima Volcano in Kagoshima, Japan, on November 28, with the area impacted by a number of days of volcanic activity.

In total, "nine eruptions and eight explosions were detected between November 25 and 29 November 2019," according to VolcanoDiscovery.com.

The same report, which cites the Japanese Meteorological Agency, stated that the plume of smoke from the volcano reached 14,400-feet in altitude, resulting in a large amount of sulfur dioxide being released. The Japanese Meteorological Agency forecasted ashfall in the area on the same date.

The dramatic scene comes three weeks after the largest explosion at the volcano in three years.


Credit: Shuhei Teshima via Storyful
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Attention

Explosion with near pyroclastic flow at Popocatepetl Volcano, Mexico


Volcano Time-Lapse
Thu, 28 Nov 2019 10:13 UTC
Popocatepetl Volcano, Mexico.
At 02:33 hours an explosion was registered at Popocatepetl Volcano, Mexico.

This clip is time-lapsed from real-time.

Enjoy your day.

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Attention

Volcano in Guatemala erupts - 3 explosions an hour

Liam Doyle
Daily Express (UK)
Fri, 29 Nov 2019 10:21 UTC
Volcano
The Guatemalan Santa Maria volcano has erupted regularly over November, according to INVISUMEH, the country's institute for volcanology. The organisation reported eruptions at the mountain's summit as much as three times per hour over one week.

According to INVISUMEH, explosions surfaced at Santa Maria one to three times per day from November 20 to 26.

The eruptions sent "avalanches" of material descending towards the east, west and southwest flanks of the mountain.

Explosions also coughed out a billowing plume of smoke into the sky, reaching 1,698-2,952 metres above Santa Maria's 12,000-foot height and drifting towards the west and southwest.

Some of this ash fell locally, around El Faro, Santa Maria, and Viejo Palma.

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Attention

Indonesia's Mount Merapi spews 1,000-metre high ash columns


The Star (Malaysia)
Sun, 17 Nov 2019 12:25 UTC
A screen grab from Indonesia's National Disaster

A screen grab from Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency Twitter feed showing the eruption.
Indonesia's volatile Mount Merapi volcano erupted on Sunday (Nov 17) morning, spewing ash columns up to 1000m into the sky, an official says.

The volcano's eruption occurred at 10:46 am (0346 GMT) Sunday and lasted for 155 seconds, Agus Wibowo, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said in a statement.

The ash cloud from the eruption was blown west, sprinkling a thin layer of ash on some parts of the village of Banyubiru Dukun, located on the side of the mountain, Wibowo said.

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Attention

Earthquake swarm raises concerns for big volcanic eruption in Iceland

Caroline Floyd
The Weather Network
Tue, 12 Nov 2019 23:54 UTC
Iceland earthquake swarm
© Icelandic Met Office.
Earthquakes reported between November 11 and 12. The cluster of red dots corresponds to the Askja swarm.
One of the most active volcanic areas in the world is rumbling again.

Sitting atop the spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge and one of the planet's hotspots, Iceland is famous for its seismic activity. There are about 130 volcanoes on the island and 30 active volcanic systems.

While volcanic behaviour is difficult to predict, researchers do look for certain seismic signs that indicate an eruption might be imminent. Over the past week, one of Iceland's volcanoes has been attracting attention. On November 6th, an earthquake swarm began at the Askja volcano, located on the eastern part of the island. Since then, roughly 700 earthquakes have been reported at the site, the largest of which was Magnitude 3.4.

Icelandic officials continue to monitor the volcano's activity, although, at the moment, they say the swarm is more likely due to the movement of the continental ridge rather than tremors involving the volcano itself, adding that swarms "occur regularly" around Askja.
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Attention

Japan's Sakurajima volcano erupts in miles-high plume of ash


New York Times
Fri, 08 Nov 2019 12:59 UTC
Japan's Mount Sakurajima volcano makes largest eruption in 3

Japan's Mount Sakurajima volcano makes largest eruption in 3 years
Japan's Sakurajima volcano shot smoke and ash miles into the sky on Friday in its biggest eruption in more than three years, Kyodo News reported.

The volcano, on the southernmost main island of Kyushu, spewed ash 5.5 km (3.4 miles) high, the first time the ash cloud from an eruption has exceeded 5 km since July 2016, Kyodo said, citing a local meteorological observatory.

The volcano has been highly active, erupting more than 100 times just this year, the report said, adding no damage has been reported so far.


Source: Reuters
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Attention

Timelapse shows impressive explosion from Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano


Miami Herald
Thu, 07 Nov 2019 14:18 UTC
volcano
Mexico's National Center for Prevention of Disasters reported an explosion with "moderate" ash content from the active Popocatepetl volcano on November 6.

The latest explosion came after days of increased magma activity inside the volcano.

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