NZ's Ardern 'utterly focused' on retrieving victims

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4 年前

Broadcasters: NO USE NEW ZEALAND. MUST ON SCREEN COURTESY "AUCKLAND RESCUE HELICOPTER TRUST". Digital: NO USE NEW ZEALAND INTERNET SITES / ANY INTERNET SITE OF ANY NEW ZEALAND OR AUSTRALIA BASED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS OR MOBILE PLATFORMS. MUST ON SCREEN COURTESY "AUCKLAND RESCUE HELICOPTER TRUST".**~

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told media the government and police are prioritising the recovery operation and have enlisted the help of local pilots who were there immediately after the eruption.

"Everyone is desperate to get those victims back and so I know that will be a matter that the police is utterly focused on and that we are too," she told media in Christchurch.

Scientists have predicted that the volcano could explode again, currently making it too risky to send in recovery teams to retrieve bodies.

The bodies of eight victims presumed dead are on White Island, and the official death toll is expected to rise from eight to 16. More than two dozen people are in hospital, many in a critical condition with burn injuries. One of the injured has not yet been identified.