Twenty-three people, some of them believed to be tourists from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship, were rescued from White Island, where the volcano erupted about 2:11 p.m. (0111 GMT), police said.
At least one person was killed, several injured and others reported missing in New Zealand after a volcano erupted off the east coast of its North Island, spewing a plume of ash thousands of feet into the air.
The White Island is about 50 km from the east coast of North Island and huge plumes were visible from the mainland. Vulcanologists said the ash plume shot 12,000 feet into the air.
“We know that there were a number of tourists on or around the island at the time, both New Zealanders and visitors from overseas,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference.
“I know there will be a huge amount of concern and anxiety for those who had loved ones on or around the island at the time. I can assure them that police are doing everything they can.”
Kevin O’Sullivan, chief executive of the New Zealand Cruise Association, said, “We believe there is a tour party from Ovation of the Seas involved in the White Island eruption. We have no further details at the moment.”
At least one of those taken to shore was critically injured, police said, adding in a statement that a no-fly zone had been set up.
“I’m not sure if these people were on the island or near it, but there was definitely one group out there and they definitely needed medical care,” said Judy Turner, the mayor of the nearby coastal town of Whakatāne.
“There were some injuries and the focus is on getting these injured people back safely and to get them to a hospital.”
There seemed to be no danger for people in coastal areas farther away, she added.
The island’s immediate surroundings were hazardous because of the eruption, the National Emergency Management Agency said in an statement, adding that falling ash might affect some areas.
The “short-lived eruption” threw an ash plume about 12,000 ft (3,658 m) high, New Zealand’s geoscience agency GNS Science said in a statement, but added there were no current signs of an escalation. ■