The official death toll from December’s volcano eruption in New Zealand has increased to 18.
New Zealand deputy police commissioner John Tims said in a statement on Monday (local time) that the death toll went up after one of the many injured in the Dec. 9, 2019 eruption died in hospital on Sunday night.
“Police can confirm a further person died in an Australian hospital last night as a result of injuries suffered in the Whakaari/White Island eruption,” Tims said in the statement.
“The death of this person brings the official number of deceased to 18, 16 of whom died in New Zealand and two in Australia.”
No other details were provided about the victim.
The volcanic eruption of White Island — also known by its Maori name, Whakaari — spewed ash, steam, and gases across the island and also left two people missing and presumed dead.
The volcano was a popular destination for day trips, with 47 people, a majority of them tourists, in the vicinity of the island when the eruption happened.
More than two dozen people landed in hospital in New Zealand and Australia after the eruption, many of them with severe burn injuries. The majority of those who died — and whose names have been released — were from Australia.
The incident prompted New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to launch an official inquiry, which could take up to a year to complete.
There was criticism in the weeks after the eruption that tourists were allowed onto the island, given the presence of an active volcano.
— With files by Reuters, The Associated Press
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