Mayuri ‘Mary’ Singh, (pictured), died from injuries sustained after a deadly volcanic eruption in New Zealand two weeks ago
An Atlanta woman who was seriously injured after being caught up volcanic eruption in New Zealand two weeks ago has died.
Mayuri ‘Mary’ Singh died at a hospital in Auckland following complications with her treatment, family friend Roger Da Silva told 11Alive.
Mayuri and her husband, Pratap ‘Paul’ Singh, were among the 47 tourists exploring the island when the volcano erupted on December 9.
Mayuri had burns on 70 percent of her body, while her husband has burns on 40 percent of his body and still remains in hospital.
Da Silva, who worked with the couple, called them ‘beautiful, incredible people.’
He said of his friend Paul: ‘It’s kind of tough, it is tough, 40 percent of your body is a lot, but Paul is a strong heart, he’s going to make it through this.
‘He donated to so many charities, Paul came to this country and he told me with a nickle and a dime. I know he’s never going to be okay.’
The death toll from the volcanic eruption at White Island, New Zealand now stands at 19.
Mayuri ‘Mary’ Singh and her husband Pratap ‘Paul’ received burns after a deadly volcanic eruption in New Zealand on December 9
An aerial image shows White Island after its volcanic eruption in New Zealand. Officials said 24 Australians, nine Americans, five New Zealanders, four Germans, two Britons, two Chinese and a Malaysian were on the island at the time
Officials said 24 Australians, nine Americans, five New Zealanders, four Germans, two Britons, two Chinese and a Malaysian were on the island at the time.
The majority of victims had been on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that had departed from Sydney two days before the incident.
Police divers had been searching in contaminated waters to find the last two victims of the eruption. Helicopter pilots and boat operators helped the injured off the island immediately after the eruption.
However emergency services did not return to the island to recover bodies until four days later because the site remained too dangerous.
Many of those killed and injured were Australian tourists who had been traveling aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Ovation of the Seas.
Among those hospitalized with injuries were American honeymooners Lauren Urey, 32, and Matthew Urey, 36, from Richmond, Virginia.
Lauren, 32, and Matthew Urey, 36, were among nine Americans caught up in the explosion on Whakaari White Island and were both rushed to hospitals on the mainland.
Matthew’s mother Janet Urey boarded a plane from Pittsburgh on Tuesday afternoon for a flight arranged by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, the company with which her son and daughter-in-law had sailed to New Zealand.
Pratap ‘Paul’ Singh has burns on 40 percent of his body and still remains in an Auckland hospital
Roger Da Silva, who worked with the couple, called them ‘beautiful, incredible people.’
Janet told 21 WFMJ before departing on December 11: ‘(Matthew) told me they had already come down from the volcano when it started to erupt.
‘They were able to take some shelter behind a large rock, 10 minutes it could have meant life or death for them, but luckily they were already down the volcano close to the water, so they sheltered themselves a little bit.
‘He’ll have a repeat surgery in 48 hours, but he was able to talk to me, he’s taking fluids and eating a little jello, so stable for now.’
White Island, also known by its Maori name, Whakaari, is the tip of an undersea volcano about 50 kilometers off New Zealand´s North Island and was a popular tourist destination before the eruption.
Many of those killed and injured were Australian tourists who had been traveling aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Ovation of the Seas
Footage shows a plume of ash rising into the air as the volcano on White Island erupts off the coast of Whakatane on New Zealand’s North Island
An image provided by visitor Michael Schade shows tourists on a boat fleeing White Island (Whakaari) volcano, as it erupts, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
It’s unclear if the privately owned island will ever be reopened for tourist visits.
Many people have questioned why tourists were still allowed on the island after New Zealand´s GeoNet seismic monitoring agency raised the volcano’s alert level on November 18 from 1 to 2 on a scale where 5 represents a major eruption, noting an increase in sulfur dioxide gas, which originates from magma.
New Zealand authorities are investigating the circumstances around the disaster.
Scientists have warned that White Island, which is the exposed tip of a mostly undersea volcano, is highly volatile, and has been venting steam and mud regularly.
Husband and wife Pratap and Mayuri Singh were confirmed Saturday to be among survivors. The Atlanta couple are recovering from burns in Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital where their conditions were listed as stable.
Specialist medical teams were heading to New Zealand from Australia, Britain and the United States. Skin banks were also sending tissue to New Zealand hospitals to use for grafts.
Authorities say 24 Australians, nine Americans, five New Zealanders, four Germans, two Britons, two Chinese and a Malaysian were on the island at the time. Many were from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that had left Sydney two days earlier.