2019 Whakaari/White Island eruption facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption |
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Whakaari / White Island, nine minutes after the eruption
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| Volcano | Whakaari / White Island |
| Date | 9 December 2019 |
| Type | Phreatic eruption |
| Location | Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand 37°31′12″S 177°10′57″E / 37.52000°S 177.18250°E |
| VEI | 2 |
| Impact | Fatalities: 21 (including 2 who are missing, declared dead) Injuries: 26 |
Whakaari / White Island is an active volcano in New Zealand. On December 9, 2019, it suddenly erupted. This happened at 2:11 PM New Zealand time.
Forty-seven people were on or near the island when it erupted. Sadly, 21 people died, and 26 others were hurt. Many of those injured had serious burns.
New Zealand's Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, called the event a 'devastating tragedy.' The police and WorkSafe New Zealand started an investigation to find out what happened.
Experts said it was a phreatic eruption. This is when hot steam and gases from inside the volcano cause an explosion. It sends rocks and ash flying into the air.
About the Volcano
Whakaari / White Island is a volcano that has erupted many times. It had several eruptions in the 1980s. A big eruption in 2000 created a new crater. Smaller eruptions also happened in 2012, 2013, and 2016.
The volcano had been showing signs of activity for several weeks before the 2019 eruption.
Two weeks before the eruption, on November 24, a 5.9 earthquake happened near the island. It lasted about one minute. People across New Zealand felt this earthquake.
Many tourists regularly visit Whakaari / White Island. They usually travel there with companies like White Island Tours.
The Eruption
The volcano erupted on December 9, 2019, at 2:11 PM New Zealand time. The ash cloud from the eruption went very high into the air, reaching about 3.6 kilometers (12,000 feet).
There were 47 people on the island when the eruption happened. Some of these visitors were passengers from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship. This ship was on a 12-day trip around New Zealand. It had stopped at Tauranga that morning.
Some visitors were waiting for boats to take them off the island when the eruption started.
Tour operators and their boats helped rescue 23 people from the island. They did this before the island was officially declared unsafe.
Three commercial helicopter pilots saw the eruption from the mainland. They bravely flew their helicopters to the island to help. They rescued twelve survivors. The pilots saw several bodies but focused on bringing back those who were alive.
People Affected
Forty-seven people were on the island when the eruption happened. They came from different countries. There were 24 Australians, 9 Americans, 5 New Zealanders, 4 Germans, 2 Chinese, 2 Britons, and 1 Malaysian.
A person on a rescue boat said that many of the injured had severe burns. This was because many of them were wearing only T-shirts and shorts for their day trip.
Images for kids
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Ovation of the Seas anchored off Picton on 13 December 2019, four days after the eruption.
