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New Zealanders across the country observed a minute of silence on Monday to honour the victims of last week's fatal volcanic eruption, as police continued efforts to recover two bodies.
The official death toll from the surprise eruption on White Island, also known by its Maori name of Whakaari, stands at 16.Two people whose bodies are believed to be in the waters around the island are still officially listed as missing.A further 26 people remain in hospitals in New Zealand and Australia, many in critical condition with severe burn injuries.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led Monday's minute of silence, standing alongside her ministers in Wellington's parliament building."Those who have been lost are now forever linked to New Zealand, and we will hold them close," Ardern posted on her official Instagram account.
Recovery teams who retrieved six bodies from the island on Friday, have so far been unsuccessful in locating the final two bodies despite several hours of searching over the weekend.New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said another aerial search would be conducted on Monday, to help naval divers form a plan for a further underwater search."We will continue the operation for as long as we have a chance of recovering those bodies," Bush told Radio New Zealand.
The volcano, a popular destination for day-trippers, erupted last Monday, spewing ash, steam and gases over the island.The 47 people on the island when it erupted included 24 Australian citizens and four permanent residents, as well as others from the US, Germany, China, the U.K. and Malaysia.
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