Thirteen people are feared dead on the New Zealand island that was rocked by a volcanic eruption on Monday – as police announce an investigation into the deaths.
Five have been confirmed dead and are in the process of being identified, while eight are missing presumed dead. Another 31 are being treated in hospital – some with 90 per cent burns – and three have been treated and released. Ministry of Health spokesman Pete Watson has said it is possible that ‘not all’ of the wounded will survive.
Forty seven tourists were on White Island when it erupted at 2.11pm, among them: 24 from Australia, nine from the US, five from New Zealand, four from Germany, two from the UK, two from China and one from Malaysia.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said three Australians are among the dead, without naming them. Malaysia’s embassy has confirmed one of its citizens is among the dead, also without identifying them.
The only fatality to have been identified so far is Hayden Marshall-Inman, a tour guide from New Zealand. The British High Commission has said two of its citizens are among the wounded.
News of the victims began emerging as police announced a probe ‘into the circumstances of the deaths and injuries’ on behalf of the coroner, but backtracked on an earlier announcement of a criminal investigation.
Julie Richards, 47, and her daughter Jessica, 20, (pictured) from Brisbane, were on the cruise and are among the missing. Ms Richards’ sister Barbara Whitehead told the ABC she has heard nothing and is ‘overwhelmed’
Lawyer Gavin Dallow, 53, his wife Lisa Hosking, 48, and her daughter Zoe Hosking, 15, from Adelaide, were all on a cruise holiday which included an optional walking tour of the volcano. Ms Hosking has been identified among the wounded in hospital, while her husband and daughter remain missing
Missing: Among those listed as missing is North Sydney family of four, parents Anthony, 51, and Kristine Langford (pictured) and their two teenage children (below). The missing list was compiled by concerned family members on the Red Cross website and is not official
Siblings Winona Langford, 17 (left), and Jesse Langford, 19, from Sydney, are believed to have been on holiday with their family. Relatives say they have not heard about their welfare
The Langford family pictured in Sydney about to set sail on the cruise, which was a celebration for Anthony’s birthday
It is not clear why police backtracked on the criminal probe. Experts had earlier warned that tours of White Island, which is the tip of New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, was a ‘disaster waiting to happen’. A health and safety investigation has also been launched.
Search teams have been dispatched to the island, in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty, to try and learn the fate of the missing – though police have already warned they do not expect to find anyone alive.
Emergency workers have not yet been able to set foot on the island amid warnings there is a 50 per cent chance of another eruption within 24 hours.
There are also fears that levels of gasses in the atmosphere could prove toxic, and police want to test using drones before sending anyone on to the island. However, high winds mean the drones have not yet been deployed.
Asked if it’s possible that some are still alive, Mr Tim said: ‘I would strongly suggest that there is no-one that has survived on the island.’
He said officers were working with webcam photos of the crater taken before the explosion to help locate bodies.
Outlining the condition of the wounded, Dr Watson said that 27 of the 31 in hospital had burns on 30 per cent or more of their bodies, including some who suffered inhalation burns to their lungs.
The injured are aged between 13 and 72, he said. There are eight being treated in Christchurch, eight in Waikato, five in Hutt, and four in Middlemore burn units with another four in Tauranga Hospital.
Missing: Tour guide Tipene Maangi, 23, from New Zealand, is unaccounted for. His grandmother was desperately waiting for news this morning and said he loved his job showing visitors around the active volcano
Jason Griffiths (pictured), 33, from Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, is in hospital in critical condition after the eruption
Mr Griffiths was travelling with Karla Mathews, 32, and Richard Elzer, 32, also from Australia, who are listed as missing
The first confirmed victim of the volcano disaster was named as New Zealand tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman (pictured). His brother posted a tribute on Facebook saying he ‘died doing what he loved’
Some 47 tourists – from New Zealand and overseas – were on or around the crater, located off the coast of the North Island, at the time of the blast. Pictured: Smoke rises into the air after the explosion on Monday
Lawyer Gavin Dallow, 53, his wife Lisa Hosking, 48, and her 15-year-old daughter Zoe Hosking, from Adelaide, were on a cruise holiday which included an optional walking tour of the active volcano when it erupted.
Family confirmed that Ms Hosking was among the wounded in hospital, but that her husband and daughter remain missing.
Her brother David Francis has contacted her relatives in Adelaide with news that she is in hospital at Hamilton.
Mr Dallow’s cousin Baxter Stone said he was deeply committed to his family and would be ‘missed beyond words’ if he is among the dead.
‘He was always up for an entertaining chat a deep love of sport that saw him umpire football and tennis at the highest levels,’ he said.
‘I’m still hoping it’s all been a mistake sadly that seems less likely as the hours tick by.’
Principal Paddy McEvoy of St Aloysius College, where Zoe studies, said: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with Zoe and her family.’
Ms Richards’ sister Barbara Whitehead said she was ‘overwhelmed’ by the lack of information, and had nothing from NZ police, Royal Caribbean, or DFAT.
She called seven New Zealand hospitals in the hope they were injured and not dead, but only one of them would even confirm they were not patients.
Jessica is a veterinary technology student at the University of Queensland’s Gatton campus and she and her mother were due back this weekend.
Tourists desperately scramble on to a boat to evacuate the island after the eruption, shortly after 2pm local time
People are seen grieving and comforting each other at the port in Whakatāne, New Zealand where survivors were brought on after the carnage on Monday
White Island tour guides (left in stripes) looked upset as they mourned with locals in Whakatāne, New Zealand
Jason Griffiths, 33, from Coffs Harbour in on the NSW Mid-North Coast is in hospital in critical condition after the eruption.
Mr Griffiths was travelling with Karla Mathews, 32, and Richard Elzer, 32, who are listed as missing.
Nick and Marion London, from Engadine in Sydney’s south, were also being treated for burns in hospital.
There are also serious concerns for the Langford family of north Sydney with Anthony, 51, his wife Kristine and their children Jesse, 19, and Winona, 17, listed as missing on a website set up by the New Zealand Red Cross.
Relatives said they had not heard about their welfare and were concerned for their safety.
Retrieving the eight bodies from the island will be a dangerous, painstaking, and time-consuming process that will take many days to complete.
Authorities said the bodies would be covered in ash and the extraction teams were not sure exactly what they would be faced with when they arrived.
Six of the bodies have been located by aerial reconnaissance and marked on a map but officials said they could not describe where on the island they were located.
The first step is to fly drones over the volcano and collect gases that will be analysed to assess the conditions, but this has been delayed by high winds.
‘We are doing everything we can to get back to that island, absolutely doing everything we can, that is my primary objective at the moment, because that’s what we need to do,’ Mr Tim said.
Devastation: A helicopter from Volcanic Air is left destroyed after the eruption. The crew made it safely to the mainland via boat
Survivors: A group of tourists could be seen near the sea on the island from the cockpit of a Westpac Rescue helicopter
2.00pm: Eleven minutes before the eruption, some of the tourists on White Island are seen walking on the rim of the crater
2.10pm: The tour group is seen further along the path just a minute before the volcano erupted at 2.11pm with ash and steam
‘It’s important for the families and friends, and so we are determined, we will do everything we possibly can.’
Further complicating recovery efforts is the 50/50 probability of another eruption in the next 24 hours that would put anyone trying to retrieve the bodies at serious risk of meeting he same fate.
‘There is a high level of uncertainty associated with this estimate and we are working to reduce that uncertainty. We also estimate the least likely scenario is a larger eruption,’ GeoNet said.
‘There is an extremely low likelihood of any ash impact to the mainland, but people may smell gas, depending on the prevailing wind direction.’
A New Zealander who was on a boat tour around the island told how he pulled people from the sea after they desperately ran into the water to escape the searing heat of the eruption.
Geoff Hopkins, 50, told the New Zealand Herald: ‘I don’t think there was anyone that came off who wasn’t badly burnt. Their faces were massively burnt. Their clothes looked fine, but when you cut them off… I’ve never seen blisters like that.’
He said his boat pulled in 23 people and raced them back to the mainland, pouring water on their burns and covering them in blankets as they screamed in pain. He said five were in critical condition and may have been the five who died.
Thirteen Australians are known to be in hospital with three believed to be dead and eight missing, Mr Morrison told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday morning.
‘I fear there is worse news to come over the course of perhaps today or over the next few days. This is a terrible tragedy, a time of great innocence and joy interrupted by the horror of that eruption,’ he said.
Ms Ardern said this morning that police and emergency services are focusing on recovering eight bodies, which would take the death toll to 13.
Only one of the dead has been named so far – New Zealand tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman. Fellow tour guide Tipene Maangi, 24, is also missing.
His grandmother was desperately waiting for news this morning and said he loved his job at the active volcano which attracts 10,000 tourists a year on guided visits where they have to wear mask and helmets.
Mr Morrison said 24 Australians – aged 17 to 72 – were on the island as part of a tour from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship, which departed from Sydney on 4 December in a trip around New Zealand.
ABC journalist Donna Field, who was on the cruise ship on holiday, said she saw the captain Henrik Loy trying to stay calm when he was told about the disaster.
‘His voice was pretty shaky,’ she said. ‘He had two phones in his hands and was just pacing on the bridge. I can’t imagine what he was going through. Everyone just stood stock still and listened. They’re shaken up.’
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern arrives at the Whakatane Fire station to meet with first responders and emergency services and civil defence in Whakatane, New Zealand
People are seen grieving and comforting one another on the Whakatane Wharf on Tuesday after the volcanic eruption
Left: A White Island tour guide worker covers her mouth in shock on Tuesday after the volcanic eruption. Right: Locals are seen mourning at the warf where survivors arrived
People on Tuesday are seen grieving and comforting one another on the Whakatane Wharf following the volcanic eruption at White Island on Monday
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed on Tuesday morning it was unlikely the eight missing people are alive after drone flights and one pilot who managed to land found no sign of life.
‘To those who have lost or are missing family and friends, we share your unimaginable grief at this moment and time and in your sorrow,’ she said.
‘You’re loved ones stood alongside Kiwis who are hosting you here – and we grieve with you and we grieve with them.
‘To our Australian family, especially, we’ll do everything we can to support you as you have supported us.’
Newlywed couple James, 23, and Madeleine Whitehouse, 24, from Brisbane, were also listed as missing as of early Tuesday morning but family later declared them safe.
According to their social media accounts, the couple married last September and had been on holiday in New Zealand.
‘You fill my heart with joy every day James, and I’m so blessed to be your wife,’ Mrs Whitehouse wrote about her husband on their first wedding anniversary.
Sheree Toope, 31, and her girlfriend Tracey Rowe were also reported missing but loved ones were later advised by Royal Caribbean that the couple were not on the island during the eruption.
Samson Tamaliunas, 12, was also reported missing by loved ones at his home in Western Australia, but his parents later wrote on Facebook that he was safe and well.
New Zealander Geoff Hopkins (pictured with his daughter) who was on a boat tour around the island told how he pulled people from the sea after they desperately ran into the water to escape the heat of the eruption
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (right) and Foreign Minister Marise Payne address the media at Kirribilli House in Sydney on Tuesday morning
New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern (right, with police official Bruce Bird) revealed that tourists from Britain, America, China and Malaysia were among the missing and injured along with New Zealanders
Whakaari also known as White Island, 48km (29mi) located off New Zealand’s North Island, erupted around 2.11pm local time on Monday blowing huge plumes of smoke and debris 12,000 ft into the sky
Coastguard rescue boats arrive on the mainland near White Island following the volcanic eruption
A rescue helicopter arrives at Whakatane Airport, on the mainland of New Zealand’s North Island 30 miles from the volcano
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern walks with police superintendent Bruce Bird on a visit to Whakatane on Monday
Emergency services attend to an injured person arriving at the Whakatane Airfield after the volcanic eruption
The disaster immediately raised questions about why tourists were allowed to visit the island, after the volcanic alert level had been raised just weeks earlier.
Cruise operator Royal Caribbean had sold a day trip to White Island as an ‘unforgettable’ adventure to New Zealand’s most active volcano, one that took visitors so close to the action they could require gas masks and hard hats.
White Island Tours said it ‘operates through the varying alert levels’ but that ‘passengers should be aware that there is always a risk of eruptive activity regardless of the alert level.’
Ms Ardern said there were legitimate questions to be asked but they could wait until the emergency response was complete.
‘The focus today is on providing critical care for those who have been injured,’ she said.
Scientists said there had been increased activity at the volcano over the past week – but nothing to indicate an eruption was imminent.
‘The eruption was unfortunate but not completely unexpected,’ said Jessica Johnson, a geophysicist at the University of East Anglia.
She said levels of activity ‘have been relatively high since September, and even more elevated over the last couple of weeks,’ with small earthquakes and more volcanic gas detected than usual.
People are seen grieving and comforting one another on the Whakatane Wharf on Tuesday following the volcanic eruption at White Island on Monday
A person wrapped in a blanket is comforted by emergency services personnel following an eruption of the White Island volcano
Emergency services attend to an injured person arriving at the Whakatane Airfield after the volcanic eruption
Marshall-Inman’s brother, Mark Inman, confirmed his death and said he had ‘passed away doing the one thing he loved’.
White Island Tours chairman Paul Quinn said describing the news as devastating was ‘an understatement’.
‘This is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been impacted,’ Mr Quinn said.
‘We acknowledge the considerable efforts from Police and Civil Defence and will continue to do whatever is necessary throughout the rescue operation.
‘Our immediate focus is on supporting our staff, manuhiri and respective whānau, who have been significantly impacted and are showing immense strength and courage.’
Rescuers were unable to land on to the island due to fears of landslides and further eruptions. Officers said a New Zealand naval ship have since approached the shore and deployed drones and ‘observational equipment’ to scour the island.
St John dispatched seven helicopters to the island, but they were unable to land.
‘We are taking expert advice with regard to conditions to determine when we can safely access the island,’ a police statement read.
Tourist Michael Schade said he and his family were on the volcano just 20 minutes before it erupted and witnessed the blast as they were leaving the island.
White Island, 48km from the Bay of Plenty region, began erupting about 2.11pm local time
‘This is so hard to believe. Our whole tour group were literally standing at the edge of the main crater not 30 minutes before. My thoughts with the families of those currently unaccounted for, the people recovering now, and especially the rescue workers,’ he said on Twitter.
‘My family and I had gotten off it 20 minutes before, were waiting at our boat about to leave when we saw it. Boat ride home tending to people our boat rescued was indescribable.
‘Praying for them and their recovery. Woman my mom tended to was in critical condition but seemed strong by the end. The helicopters on the island looked destroyed.
Allessandro Kauffmann, a Brazilian tourist who was in the first tour group for the morning said his group left the island ‘just in time’.
‘Some people have extensive burns on their bodies. Two tours on the volcano. Ours was the first. The other one right after. We left the island and wasn’t even five minutes before it erupted. This other tour that arrived after couldn’t leave in time,’ he said in an Instagram post.
At least five people died in the eruption, with rescuers still unable to get on to the island. Pictured: People on a boat tour take pictures as the volcano erupts
Speaking on Monday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there were ‘a number of tourists’ from her country and overseas on the island at the time.
‘I know there will be a huge amount of anxiety for those who have loved ones on or around the island at the time. I can assure them police are doing everything they can,’ Ms Ardern said.
Ms Ardern and Civil Defence Minister Peeni Henare travelled to the nearby Whakatane on Monday night.
National Operation Commander Deputy Commissioner John Tims on Monday confirmed five people have died and multiple people were taken to hospital with burns, with the death toll expected to rise.
‘I can confirm there are five people now deceased from the eruption on White Island,’ Mr Tims told reporters on Monday evening.
‘A number of other people have been taken to a hospital. A number of people have burns as a result of the eruption. It is still too early for police to confirm how many people are involved.
‘There are possibilities of further eruptions. The physical environment is unsafe for us to return to the island. It is important that we consider the health and safety of those that are going to rescue those on the island. So we will be taking that advice.’
The eruption at White Island – also known as Whakaari – thrusted a thick plume of white ash 3.6kilometres (12,000ft) into the sky.
‘A disaster waiting to happen’: Experts say tourist trips to White Island volcano were ‘too dangerous’
White Island was always ‘too dangerous’ for the number of tourists visiting the island, experts have said, as they warned of risks of further blasts and landslides.
Emeritus Professor Ray Cas, from Monash University, branded the island – also known by its Maori name Whakaari – ‘a disaster waiting to happen for many years’.
‘I have always felt that it was too dangerous to allow the daily tour groups that visit the uninhabited island volcano by boat and helicopter,’ he said.
In 1914, a small mining community on the island was wiped out after falling rocks weakened by the island’s volcanic activity swept through the village.
The violent volcanic eruption on New Zealand’s white Island was caused because ocean crust is being subducted (pictured, the series of events leading to the spontaneous eruption). This constant movement means sudden explosions can occur at any moment
Mining activity was subsequently banned and the island has been uninhabited now for more than a century, but is a hotspot for tourists hoping to get close to an active volcano.
Large volcanic events such as the White Island eruption can often cause subsequent disasters.
GeoNet, New Zealand’s geological hazard information centre, describes White Island as New Zealand’s most active cone volcano. Only the top is visible, with around 80 per cent of it underwater.
Rescuers have been unable to visit the island in the wake of the disaster in order to search for survivors and victims, saying it is still too dangerous.
Explaining the dangers, Chris Elders, professor of Geology at Curtin University’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, told MailOnline: ‘This may be a combination of the ash in the atmosphere that would affect any helicopters.
‘Also, when you get an eruption like this, the ash deposits very quickly and creates rocks which are extremely unstable.
‘Any rainfall, which can be triggered by the ash sent into the atmosphere, could cause a landslide if the unstable rocks come loose.’
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was too early to explain the distaster. ‘I don’t wish to get ahead of what needs to be a proper investigation,’ she told TVNZ. ‘We will answer these questions but today the focus is on supporting this community.’
The island is about 50km (30 miles) offshore in the picturesque Bay of Plenty and attracts about 10,000 visitors every year.
A camera of the crater’s rim, run by monitoring agency GeoNet, set to take pictures every 10 minutes showed a string of people visiting the crater at 2.10pm.
The next shot taken, at 2.20pm, was unreadable as the blast had rendered the camera inoperable.
At least four helicopters took off from mainland New Zealand, including a Westpac rescue aircraft, a Volcanic Air helicopter and two private choppers as pilots risked their lives to save others in a daring rescue mission.
White Island is New Zealand’s most active volcano and had seen its last major eruption in 2001, with smaller events over the years until now.
Geological hazard trackers GeoNet had registered moderate volcanic unrest on the island for weeks. The island even had a shipping container built on it to act as a bunker in the event of an eruption. It is not clear it if was used.
But the nature of volcano activity is unpredictable, with the eruption unforeseen by authorities.
People are only allowed on the island as part of a tour with hard hats and gas masks. One section of the tour typically involves walking in the inner-crater where tourists are told to keep to tracks to avoid vents which discharge volcanic gases at between 100 and 800 degrees.
‘Anybody falling in a vent would be rapidly cooked,’ GNS Science says on its website.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed 24 Australians were visiting the island as part of a cruise ship tour group on Monday
Passengers on board Australia’s biggest cruise liner caught up in New Zealand’s volcano tragedy describe the horror of watching the injured be brought back to the ship
Tourists on Australia’s biggest cruise ship are ‘grateful’ they decided to stay on board after passengers and crew members were caught up in New Zealand’s volcano tragedy.
At least five people died in the powerful eruption on White Island, also known as Whakaari, at 2.11pm local time on Monday when an estimated 50 tourists were on or around the volcano crater.
Eighteen survivors were evacuated – some suffering severe burns – leaving an estimated 27 people unaccounted for.
Australians were among the visitors on Whakaari from a nearby cruise ship, the Ovation of the Seas, which originated in Sydney.
Tourists on Australia’s biggest cruise ship – Ovation of the Seas (pictured) – are ‘grateful’ they decided to stay on board after passengers and crew members were caught up in New Zealand’s volcano tragedy
The vessel, which has 4579 passengers and 1595 crew on board, is docked in Tauranga, 90 kilometres from White Island.
Kasey Bebrouth, who lives in Ipswich, Queensland, wrote on Facebook she was safe on the cruise ship after choosing not to tour the island.
‘Okay so me and Marty are on the Ovation of the Seas and yes people have been hurt,’ she wrote.
‘The boat is staying overnight. At this point we are OK but very grateful that we stayed on the ship.
‘We thank everyone for their kind words and worries. We will post more when we know more, just know that we are safe.’
Her friend Stephen Irvine told News Corp he had been messaging the mother-of-one after the eruption and she said she saw injured passengers covered in ash being carried back to the boat.
‘The passengers have been offered counselling,’ Mr Irvine said.
Stephanie Wright, whose Facebook says she’s a lighting technician at Royal Caribbean International, also wrote a status about being safely docked at Tauranga.
Stephanie Wright, whose Facebook says she’s a lighting technician at Royal Caribbean International, also wrote a status about being safely docked at Tauranga
‘This is absolutely tragic. I’m on Ovation of the Seas,’ Ms Wright wrote.
‘We’re docked overnight in Tauranga hoping and waiting for news and the return of our crew and passengers.
‘Keep them in your thoughts and if you pray, hold them there too.’
The captain of the vessel announced one crew member and a group of passengers were on the island when the volcano erupted, New Zealand Herald reported.
Passenger Nigel Walker, from Wollongong, south of Sydney, extended his thoughts to those missing.
Royal Caribbean issued a statement saying the ship would stay in the nearby port overnight ‘until we learn more about the situation’. The Ovation of the Seas is pictured docked in Auckland
‘It’s tragic… I was only saying to my mother-in-law before the cruise that White Island would be a great place to visit,’ he said.
Royal Caribbean issued a statement saying the ship would stay in the nearby port overnight ‘until we learn more about the situation’.
The vessel, which embarked on a 12-day cruise from Sydney, was supposed to sail to Wellington on Monday evening before touring New Zealand’s South Island and returning to Circular Quay.
Michael Schade, a traveller from San Francisco, said his tour group was standing at the edge of the main crater less than 30 minutes before the blast.
Brazilian tourist Allessandro Kauffmann was on White Island moments before the eruption
‘My god, White Island volcano in New Zealand erupted today for first time since 2001,’ he wrote on Twitter.
‘My family and I had gotten off it 20 minutes before, were waiting at our boat about to leave when we saw it.
‘Boat ride home tending to people our boat rescued was indescribable.’
Mr Schade shared video footage of the destruction and some of the tourists who managed to escape onto his vessel.
Michael Schade, a traveller from San Francisco, said his tour group was standing at the edge of the main crater less than 30 minutes before the blast
‘Praying for them and their recovery. Woman my mum tended to was in critical condition but seemed strong by the end.
‘My thoughts with the families of those currently unaccounted for, the people recovering now, and especially the rescue workers.’
Brazilian tourist Allessandro Kauffmann, who was on a tour to the island, shared a series of Instagram stories throughout the day and said he fled moments before the eruption.
‘Some people have extensive burns on their bodies. Two tours on the volcano. Ours was the first. The other one right after,’ he said after escaping.
The White Island Tour operators are seen during the rescue operation about 12 to 14 minutes after the eruption
‘We left the island and wasn’t even five minutes before it erupted. This other tour that arrived after couldn’t leave in time.
‘We had to stay to help those people who were on the island. The boat from this other tour was covered in ash from the volcano.
‘Very tense talking about this. We just have to hope that all is as well as can be.’
His partner Aline Moura shared videos of the eruption to Instagram to recount her day.
‘This was the end of today’s trip that I had. The beginning was excellent, lots of cool pictures, amazing experience,’ she wrote.
‘But nature is autonomous and man has no control over his will.
Brazilian couple Allessandro Kauffmann and Aline Moura are pictured on their tour before the eruption (left). Speaking in a series of Instagram stories (right), the couple said their boat helped rescue people who suffered burns from the eruption
‘Surely we never forget that day. Let us pray that everyone will be fine.’
Speaking in a series of Instagram stories, the couple recalled how their boat helped rescue people who suffered burns from the eruption.
Police and emergency services haven’t been able to reach or make contact with those trapped by the blast.
National Operation Commander Deputy Commissioner John Tims told reporters on Monday evening that it’s currently too dangerous to search for survivors.
‘There are possibilities of further eruptions. The physical environment is unsafe for us to return to the island,’ he said.
‘It is important that we consider the health and safety of those that are going to rescue those on the island. So we will be taking that advice.’