2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption
volcanic eruption in New Zealand From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
The volcanic island Whakaari, also called White Island, explosively erupted in New Zealand's northeastern Bay of Plenty region on 9 December 2019 at 2:11 pm NZDT.[1] There were 47 people on or near the island at the time. The amount of people killed is currently 22, including 2 people that went missing and are believed to be dead. 25 people were injured, many critically.[2][3]
Events
White Island is a popular tourist attraction. In the days leading up to the eruption, the volcano on White Island became more unstable, causing an earthquake at one point.[4] Although the volcano's alert level increased, tours of White Island continued.[5]
When the volcano erupted, it sent rock, volcanic ash, and super-hot gas 3.7 kilometres (12,000 feet) into the air. This hot gas burned the people on the island, causing deaths and injuries.[6] The type of eruption was a phreatic eruption, where water heated by magma turns into steam and causes an explosion.[7]
After the eruption
WorkSafe New Zealand, New Zealand's primary workplace safety organization, launched an investigation into the disaster alongside New Zealand police.[8] WorkSafe New Zealand later charged 3 people (the owners of White Island) and 10 organizations.[9]
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that "the scale of this tragedy is devastating".[1]
Remove ads
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads