Deadly volcano erupts in New Zealand

At least five people died when the volcano on White Island, New Zealand, erupted on Monday. About 50 people were on the island, including at least 30 passengers from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Authorities have rescued 18 people, many of whom had severe burns and other injuries. Police don’t expect to find any more survivors, and rescue teams were unable to return to the island due to falling ash and toxic gases.

Was the eruption unexpected? Scientists recently recorded an increase in volcanic activity on the island and questioned why authorities still allowed tourists to visit. White Island is about 30 miles from New Zealand’s mainland and is the country’s most active volcano.

Dig deeper: Read Kiley Crossland’s 2018 report in The Sift on erupting volcanoes in Hawaii and Guatemala.