on the Night of Monday lost at least five persons life in a volcanic eruption on White Island in New Zealand.
But the deaths could easily have been avoided, if you ask the Danish vulkanekspert Henning Andersen.
The new zealand authorities had raised the state of alert for the 321-meter high volcano to the next highest step on the scale – from 2 to 4. There was therefore an imminent risk that the volcano ‘soon’ would go in the outbreak.
“It is the tourist’s own fault that they have come of days. If they had respected nature, so they were never gone in the country,” says vulkanekspert Henning Andersen, who trained as a geologist and has authored several books about volcanoes.
“It is hard put up, but this is how it is.”
He tells that it is impossible to predict the accurate time of when a volcano erupts. Why should the tourists or their guides kept far away from White Island.
“Vulcanologic studies showed in advance, that there would be explosions,” he says.
Even if one were to try to come up with a calculated charge, so says Henning Andersen, that it is also as good as impossible to predict the extent of an outbreak.
the Eruption on White Island, or Whakaari, as it is called, manifests itself as a violent explosions, where the drønvarme gas clouds are spyet out of the crater.
“You are being fried alive. You are almost grilled to death. The temperature in the gas clouds is so high. It is this that kill people. It is the explosions and the gases, which fry people to death,” he says.
23 people were rescued away from the island. Of which lost five people their lives.
The local authorities have Monday dinner indicated that one does not believe that the remaining missing have survived the outbreak. There should be at least ten persons, who stayed on the island, which was not rescued.
Shortly after midnight local time – noon Danish time – informed the police that the man had made reconnaissance flights over the island – and there were ‘no signs of life’.
‘the Police believe that all that could have been taken from the island alive, was rescued at the time of the evacuation,’ says the press release.
‘Based on the information we have, we do not believe that there are any survivors on the island.’
Among the confirmed dead is a young guide. Henning Andersen do not understand, that he has dared to risk his own and, not least, the tourists ‘ life to see the volcano on White Island.
“As the guide, I have always respected nature. I am not the type who takes chances. It is not something I compromise on because I know that nature strikes back hard.”
B. T. has earlier in the day been in contact with the foreign ministry’s Citizen service. Here came the answer that there was not yet any evidence that pointed to the fact that there were injured soldiers.
The Danish consul-general said Monday morning that dane had to keep an eye on the new zealand media to get information.
“We don’t know anything at the moment. They can’t get over on the island right now. It is simply still too dangerous,” she said.