Photo: Al Jazeera
By: Brianna Quinonez White Island, or Whakaari, a volcano located in the country of New Zealand, erupted on Monday, December 9th. The volcano is placed alone on an island, where tourists who wish to visit and climb the geographic wonder must go by boat. But the latest tourists, sadly, did not get to return home and share their experiences. According to CNN, “Citizens from New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia were among those injured and missing following the explosion.” According to BBC, White Island is New Zealand’s most active volcano. Immediately it may sound bizarre why tourists would pay to go see an active volcano, but it should be noted that its last eruption was in the year 2001. The same source also confirms that while the island is privately owned, day tours and flights are a common occurrence. While this catastrophe has struck the hearts of millions since it made headlines in the news around the world, this event easily could have been prevented. GeoNet, a collaboration between the Earthquake Commission and GNS Science, has been sending out alerts since mid-November, as it was being recorded that the volcano’s volume of sulfur dioxide gas was increasing. It should be noted that volcanos naturally release sulfur dioxide gas into the atmosphere, but according to the NASA Earth Observatory, once sulfur dioxide is increasing, that’s practically a natural warning of an upcoming eruption. Since White Island is still not free from danger, first responders are still not allowed to get near the volcano. According to USA Today, at least 5 tourists were killed, since it was famously stated that tourists were climbing into the volcano right before it erupted for the first time in years. As for search and rescue crews reaching survivors, a team is forming. According to the Daily Mail UK, an “estimated 50 tourists were on or around the volcano crater.” As previously stated, 5 are confirmed dead. 18 were identified as injured, with an additional 20 people missing.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
StaffLearn more about the people behind the stories by clicking the button below. Archives
October 2023
Categories |