BREAKING: Tragedy as victim of the White Island volcano disaster dies in hospital bringing the official death toll to 17
- The White Island volcano death toll has reached 17 after a victim died in hospital
- The person, who wasn’t named, died at Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital Sunday
- About 28 people are being treated after the deadly volcano eruption on Dec 9
A seventeenth person has died in the White Island volcano disaster, police have confirmed.
The victim, who was not named, died on Sunday night while being treated at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland.
‘Police were advised of the death shortly before 11pm,’ Deputy Commissioner John Tims said on Monday.
‘The death of this person brings the official number of deceased to 17, 16 of whom died in New Zealand and one in Australia.’
Seventeen people have died after the White Island volcano eruption on December 9
Last week, authorities said the two missing bodies – identified as New Zealand tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman, 40, and Australian teenager Winona Langford, 17 – may never be found
The deceased person’s nationality was not released.
A total of 47 people – including 24 Australians – were on the island at the time of the deadly eruption on December 9.
Two people remain missing, while 28 are being treated in New Zealand and Australian hospitals after sustaining severe burn injuries.
Last week, authorities said the two missing bodies – identified as New Zealand tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman, 40, and Australian teenager Winona Langford, 17 – may never be found.
Police Deputy Commissioner Mike Clement said he believes a storm soon after the eruption washed the bodies down a stream and into the Pacific Ocean.
Dive crews on a police boat spotted a male body in the water near the island two days after the eruption.
He said the boat was able to maneuver within metres of the body but large waves prevented crews from recovering the body before it sank.
New Zealand authorities believe the force of the volcanic eruption resulted in victims being knocked into the water. Two bodies remain missing after several recovery attempts
Police said divers faced ‘unique and challenging conditions’ as they searched waters ‘with between zero and two metres visibility’
‘We are deeply sorry that we haven’t, until this time, been able to return those bodies,’ Clement told reporters in the town of Whakatane, near the volcanic island.
‘That has been our mission throughout, firstly to save people and then to recover people. It hurts us, and it hurts our people and it hurts everybody in this community when we don’t achieve that purpose.’
Winona’s parents Kristine, 45, and Anthony, 51, both died. Her 19-year-old brother Jesse survived and is recovering in hospital in Sydney with burns to 90 per cent of his body.
Police named the missing victims last Tuesday as they postponed the search for the bodies.
A Defence Force helicopter left on Tuesday morning for an aerial search of the island but had to turn back due to poor weather.