OREANDA-NEWS. New Zealand police have confirmed the death of six people as a result of a volcanic eruption on the island of White Island. This was reported on Tuesday by the newspaper The New Zealand Herald. On December 9, Deputy Commissioner of the Civil Defense Forces headquarters, John Tims, reported five deaths from a volcanic eruption.

According to police, another evacuated person died on Tuesday at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland. The fate of another 27 people after the eruption of the volcano remains unknown.

The New Zealand Isle of Wight Island is located in Plenty Bay, 270 km south of Auckland. The eruption began on December 9 at 14:15 local time (04:15 Moscow time). The level of volcanic danger was increased to the fourth (danger of eruption in the immediate vicinity of the volcano), and the aviation security code was changed to orange. White Island is New Zealand's only active volcanic island. The previous eruption was recorded in late 2012 and early 2013. The Isle of Wight is one of the most visited active volcanoes in the world and is open for tourist trips.