Tourists die in New Zealand volcano

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Tourists die in New Zealand volcano - 16th December 2019

Whakaari (White Island) is the most active volcano in New Zealand. On Tuesday, 30-40 tourists were visiting the volcano when it erupted. 16 people have been killed. Rescuers saved 23 tourists from the island but eight were missing. The rescue was very dangerous.

20 tourists are in hospital intensive care. Two tourists have already died there. The missing tourists' families were very upset. They asked the police to get the missing bodies back. This rescue was very dangerous because another eruption was a 50-60% possibility. Eight specialist soldiers rescued the bodies on Friday morning.

The volcano is a private island. 10,000 people visit it every year. On 3 December, scientists warned that the volcano could erupt. But they said it was still OK for tourists to visit.

Whakaari is an important religious place for local Ngati Awa people, who helped rescue the bodies. Maoris have put a 'rahui' on the area, which stops people entering it.

The tourists in hospital are very burnt. They need special operations. Burns doctors say that they need 120 square metres of new skin.