Cruise ships in port

close Video Five dead, several missing after volcano erupts in New Zealand Police are not sure how many people are still on White Island after the deadly eruption. Authorities scrambling to search for survivors after a volcanic island in New Zealand erupted said Monday that aerial searches have revealed "no signs of life" since the eruption. The New Zealand police said in a press release that at least five people died when the eruption took place Monday afternoon on White Island. White Island sits about 30 miles offshore from mainland New Zealand and experts say it's the country's most active cone volcano, with about 70 percent of the volcano lying under the sea. "Police believe that anyone who could have been taken from the island alive was rescued at the time of the evacuation," police stated. "Based on the information we have, we do not believe there are any survivors on the island." NEW ZEALAND VOLCANO ERUPTS, AT LEAST 5 DEAD, RESCUERS CAN'T ACCESS ISLAND … [Read more...] about New Zealand volcano eruption leaves ‘no signs of life’ on island

A volcano erupted in New Zealand on Monday, leaving five people dead and 50 more more unaccounted for. Local police said tourists were seen walking inside the crater of White Island volcano moments before the deadly eruption.Twenty-three people have been rescued, but it is unclear how many people remained on the island. Police say aerial reconnaissance flights have not identified any sign of life there, NZ News Hub reports. White Island, also called Whakaari, is the country’s most active volcano. Despite that, the privately owned island is a tourist destination with frequent day tours and scenic flights available as well as cruise ships that regularly drop by. My god, White Island volcano in New Zealand erupted today for first time since 2001. My family and I had gotten off it 20 minutes before, were waiting at our boat about to leave when we saw it. Boat ride home tending to people our boat rescued was indescribable. #whiteisland pic.twitter.com/QJwWi12Tvt — Michael … [Read more...] about New Zealand Volcano Erupts – Five Dead as Authorities Warn to Brace for Further Casualties

When Lauren Urey called her parents Sunday, the 32-year-old newlywed was excited. The Royal Caribbean cruise ship that Lauren and her husband, Matthew, were spending their honeymoon on had just docked in Tauranga, New Zealand, and the couple from Richmond, Virginia, had an action-packed day ahead of them. "She said they were going to the volcano," Lauren's mother, Barbara Barham, told The Washington Post. "My husband was joking around and said, 'I hope it's not a live volcano.' " Actually, Lauren responded, it is. The Ureys had plans to visit White Island, which bills itself as "New Zealand's most active volcano." But Lauren and Matthew, 36, "weren't concerned that there was any chance of an eruption," Barham said. Then, shortly after 2 p.m. Monday local time, as the Ureys and other tourists explored the island, thick clouds of ash started billowing out of the volcano. It was erupting. At least five people have died and many are missing following an eruption that released ash 12,000 … [Read more...] about Five dead, many missing after volcanic eruption on New Zealand island popular with tourists

MOSCOW - Russia has returned three captured Ukrainian navy ships, in what is being billed as a goodwill gesture to Kyiv ahead of international peace talks aimed at ending the war between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s east. Russia seized the ships and crew amid a firefight off the coast of Crimea in November of last year —  arguing the Ukrainian vessels had illegally entered what had become de facto Russian territorial waters following the Kremlin’s annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. The move triggered international condemnation, as well as a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia over the incident and fomenting the war in Ukraine.    In a statement posted to its website to announce the vessels’ release, Russia’s Foreign Ministry strongly defended its actions. “Russia intends to harshly meet any provocations against its borders from here on out, including with the goal of … [Read more...] about Russia Returns Seized Ukrainian Naval Vessels

At least five people have died and as many as 20 were injured after a volcano began erupting Monday afternoon off New Zealand’s North Island, one of the country’s two main islands. Speaking to reporters in the capital Wellington, New Zealand’s Deputy Police Commissioner John Tims confirmed the fatalities and said the toll is likely to rise, since there are still several people missing. Tim said the police were not sure about the exact number of people still in the island and their wellbeing, but could be in the double digits.  He said they were of different nationalities, and some of those involved were guests from the Royal Caribbean International cruise ship Ovation of the Seas. Tim also said the island was still too dangerous for police and rescuers to search for the missing. He said that most of the 18 survivors were injured, and some with severe burns. They were transported to the area hospitals for treatment. Emergency officials say around 50 people were on … [Read more...] about At Least Five Dead, Scores Missing After New Zealand Volcano Eruption