Missing Persons Feared Dead in White Island Crisis

At least eight more people were missing from the recent eruption of White Island, and the rescue forces feared that they could be dead now.

New Zealand emergency services still could not access the island to begin the recovery mission due to its unstable condition.

Monitoring experts still could not give a go signal because they still could not determine whether it is safe to land, said New Zealand Deputy Commissioner John Tims at a press conference today.

Geonet, New Zealand's geological hazard monitoring group, warned for another possible eruption within 24 hours.

Tims also said that there were "no signs of life", fearing that those who remained stranded possibly have died.

An Australian family of four, which includes a 17-year old Jesse Langford, was reported to be missing. According to Langford's former school, Marist North Shore, the family of the "talented and popular" student was enjoying their tour in the island when the volcano erupted.

The representative of the school asked for everyone's prayer to guarantee the Langfords' safety.

Paramedics Russell "Rusty" Clark was part of the first rescue effort deployed to transport patients through helicopters.

"It was like what I have seen in Chernobyl mini-series," he told a local news agency. Everything was covered with a blanket of ashes, and it is really traumatic for all of the victims, he also added.

The rising death toll

Since its eruption on Monday, five people have died, including the only Malaysian tourist who boarded the tour, and a tour guide, Hayden Marshall-Inman.

Thirty-one victims were hospitalized, and 27 of them suffered from severe burns. According to Pete Watson, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, it is possible that some of these patients will not survive.

CNN reported that one of the victims, a US tourist Matthew Urey, was able to send a voice mail to his mom a few minutes after he was able to leave the island. Urey's mom, Janet, told CNN's Anderson Cooper that her son's hands were "severely burnt" that he cannot use his phone.

Urey, along with his newly-wedded wife, was among the passengers of Ovation of the Seas cruise liner, which previously reported that its touring party consisting of at least 38 members have not returned yet.

The Waikato Hospital, where most patients were brought, announced in its official Facebook account that the hospital is "full and extremely busy" and will only prioritize emergencies.

Flowers laid at the local port behind a police cordon has been piling up since Tuesday. This came from local residents who expressed their sympathy and thoughts to all victims.

An indigenous tribe, Moari, has also performed a sacred rite called rahui on affected areas, according to Radio New Zealand. Rahui involves prohibiting the access of a certain place to stop an event (in this case, volcanic eruption and death).

Criminal charges might be filed

Prior to its eruption on Monday, experts have previously warned that the country's most active volcano has an increasing volcanic activity, prompting them to increase the alert rating to Level 2.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hinted a possibly for probe on touring groups for allowing the visitors to enter the area despite the earlier warning. However, she said that in the meantime, the top priority is recovery mission and taking care of the victims.

Prime Minister Ardern also praise the bravery of rescuers, including two privately owned helicopters, who went straight to the island a few moments after the eruption.

Tims also confirmed that the police will commence a criminal investigation within a few days. However, the New Zealand police retracted it by saying it is still too early to confirm the need for it.