Echinophoria/iStock(WELLINGTON, New Zealand) — At least five people were killed and many more remain missing after a volcano erupted on a small island in New Zealand on Monday, officials said.
New Zealand Police Deputy Commissioner John Tims told reporters that 23 people, including those with injuries, have been rescued from White Island, also known as Whakaari, which is home to the country’s most active cone volcano.
Tims said the death toll is “likely” to rise.
The number of those unaccounted was still unclear, but the total number of people on the volcanic island when it erupted Monday afternoon was fewer than 50, according to Tims.
White Island, located some 30 miles offshore from mainland New Zealand, has had regular eruptions for years and remains uninhabited, but is still a popular tourist destination.
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