Free Republic

Barbara Barham told The Washington Post on Monday that daughter Lauren Urey, 32, and husband Matthew Urey, 36, were on their honeymoon. Barham said the couple from Richmond, Virginia, had plans to visit a live volcano and weren’t concerned about possible eruptions. Barham said she got a call sometime later from Royal Caribbean asking if she’d heard from her daughter. Then Matthew Urey’s mother called and relayed a distressing voicemail from her son. Matthew Urey’s message said “there had been a volcano eruption and they were burned very bad,” Barham said. Tourists had been exploring the moon-like surface of White...

WHAKATANE, New Zealand (Reuters) - New Zealand said on Tuesday that eight people were missing and presumed dead a day after a volcano erupted off the coast of New Zealand’s North Island, with at least five people confirmed dead and more than 30 injured. 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 (m) into the air. “To those who have lost or are missing family and friends, we share in your unfathomable grief in...

As many as 20 people may be injured after White Island erupted on Monday afternoon. The volcanic eruption began at around 2:15pm on Monday. A group of people believed to be tourists were on the island at the time. St John has confirmed to Newstalk ZB that they have reports of up to 20 injured in the eruption.