White Island volcano: Tour operators ordered to pay millions to victims - BBC News

The 2019 New Zealand volcano eruption killed 22 people and gravely injured 25 others.

11 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPAImage caption, 22 people died in 2019 when the White Island volcano eruptedBy Frances MaoBBC NewsA New Zealand court has ordered NZ$10m (£4.8m; $6m) in compensation to the victims of the White Island volcano disaster, where 22 people died.

In December 2019, 47 people were touring the volcano when it erupted, killing nearly half of the group and gravely injuring everyone else.

The firms which owned the island and operated tours were found guilty last year of negligence and safety breaches.

Their failure to provide proper checks had ruined many lives, the court said.

The volcano had been showing signs of heightened activity in the weeks leading up to the eruption but operators ignored these, the court said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68443402

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