White Island: tourists injured during New Zealand volcano eruption
Level four alert was issued for the volcano, also known by its Māori name Whakaari, indicating a ‘moderate volcanic eruption’
New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, White Island, off the eastern coast of the North Island, began to erupt on Monday, spewing a large plume of smoke and ash into the air. Local media reported that tourists were on the island at the time and some were injured.
A level four alert was issued for the volcano, also known by its Māori name Whakaari, indicating a “moderate volcanic eruption,” according to the science agency GeoNet. The scale runs from zero to five – a major eruption.