Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday three Australians were feared to be among the confirmed fatalities after a volcano erupted off the coast of New Zealand’s North Island.
Morrison also confirmed 13 Australians are among the injured after the disaster on NZ’s White Island, also known as Whakaari Island.
“This is a very, very hard day for a lot of Australian families whose loved ones have been caught up in this terrible, terrible tragedy,” he said.
“I fear there is worse news to come.
“There are 11 Australians that are still unaccounted for.”
The PM said 24 Aussies were on a cruise close to the island when the volcano erupted 2.15pm local time on Monday. Of this group, 13 people have been taken to hospital and 11 are unaccounted for.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters that aerial reconnaissance flights did not show any signs of life on the volcanic White Island after the eruption that spewed a plume of ash thousands of feet into the air.
“To those who have lost or are missing family and friends, we share in your unfathomable grief in this moment at time and in your sorrow,” she said at a news conference in Whakatane, a town near the tourist attraction.
New Zealanders and tourists from Australia, the United States, Britain, China and Malaysia were among the missing and injured, she said, without giving more details.
Ardern said there were two explosions in quick succession.
“It’s now clear that there were two groups on the island - those who were able to be evacuated and those who were close to the eruption,” she said.
Many of the injured were in critical condition, most from burns, Ardern said. Police said they did not expect to find any more survivors.
White Island is about 50 km (30 miles) from the east coast of North Island and huge plumes were visible from the mainland. Volcanologists said the ash plume shot 12,000 feet (3,658 m) into the air.
Waikato Police Superintendent Bruce Bird said 47 people visited the island on Monday - five were confirmed to have been killed and eight were missing. Some 31 were in hospital and three had been discharged.
Ardern said authorities were still assessing how close rescuers can get to the island.
“Ash is obviously significant,” she said. “We’ve heard reports of one boat returning with up to half a metre of ash, so the ashfall is significant and that will be having an impact.”