Dec. 15 (UPI) — A followup attempt to recover two people missing after a deadly volcanic explosion in New Zealand on Monday was not successful, police said Saturday.
At least 15 people are dead after a volcanic explosion on an island off the north coast of New Zealand known as both Whakaari and White Island.
Officials say 47 people were on the island at the time of the eruption. Thirteen people have been hospitalized due to severe burns.
Two people remain unaccounted for in search and rescue efforts, and police commissioner Mike Bush said the effort to find them — which includes helicopter searches and dives — has been tough going, but they intended to “make every effort” to find the missing parties.
Water is contaminated in the area near the island and visibility is poor due to Monday’s eruption, making search efforts more difficult.
And the volcano — New Zealand’s most active — is still a dangerous place to be: a geological monitoring agency said there was a 30 to 45 percent chance of interruption in the next day.
