WELLINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Sentencing for the tour booking agents and managers of an island in New Zealand where a volcanic eruption killed 22 people, mostly tourists, in 2019 began on Monday, with the prosecutor warning those sentenced may not be able to pay a fine.
There were 47 people on White Island, also known by the Maori name of Whakaari, when the volcano erupted on Dec. 9, 2019. Many of the survivors were badly burnt by searing gas and ash. Most of the victims were tourists from countries including Australia, the U.S. and Malaysia.
Tour operators White Island Tours, Volcanic Air Safaris, Kahu New Zealand and Aerius, along with the corporate owner of the island, Whakaari Management Limited, are being sentenced on at least one criminal charge related to insufficiently ensuring the safety of workers and visitors to the island. Each charge carries a maximum fine of NZ$1.5 million ($924,750.00).
How did I miss this happening?? (As a US citizen who followed international News and has seen so much about volcanos recently)
The actual eruption happened in 2019. It was big news locally when it happened, and there has been a slow trickle of further reports like this one.
It wasn’t a particularly big eruption; the fact that people were on the rather small volcanic island when it erupted is what led to the deaths.
The efforts towards a prosecution have been long and slow because it’s probably going to be a real mess:
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Adventure tourism including visiting active volcanoes is inherently dangerous.
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Did the scientists get the volcano risk levels wrong?
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Which entities should get criminal blame? Island owner, tour providers, tour transport providers (boats), and/or the various regulators?
It sounds like that’s all sorted and they’re into sentencing on those that were found guilty.
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There’s a Netflix documentary on it, The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari that’s really well done on it. Those poor people, sounded truly horrifying
I remember seeing cell phone videos at the time and it really seemed horrid. People had no place escape to.
I think it was right around when lockdown started so it would have been easy to miss.