Death toll from New Zealand volcano eruption rises to 19
NICK PERRY
Associated Press
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The death toll from a volcanic eruption in New Zealand has risen to 19 after police said Monday another person died at an Auckland hospital overnight.
There were 47 people visiting the tourist destination of White Island when the volcano erupted Dec. 9, killing 13 people initially and leaving more than two dozen others hospitalized with severe burns. The latest victim is the sixth person to die in hospitals in New Zealand and Australia in the two weeks since the eruption.
Two of the victims' bodies have not been recovered after authorities believe they were washed out to sea in a storm soon after the eruption. Helicopter pilots and boat operators helped the injured off the island immediately after the eruption, but emergency