One person is dead and authorities fear there is 'likely to be more' after a volcano erupted off the coast of New Zealand while tourists were climbing inside its crater.
Dramatic footage of the eruption, which happened at Whakaari or White Island, just off New Zealand's coastline, at about 2.15pm local time on Monday, shows huge plumes of smoke and debris being blasted 12,000 kilometres into the sky.
Tourists were pictured deep inside the crater just moments before the blast while others on a boat to the island were rushed inside as thick, black smoked billowed towards them.
A man with an American accent could be heard saying in the clip: 'We've got to get out of here'.
Sightseeing helicopters and one boat remain unaccounted for as a major rescue operation gets underway.
At least 23 people have already been brought to the mainland on stretchers covered in ash, but authorities cannot confirm how many people are still unaccounted for.
Some of those still on the island are from an Australian Ovation of the Seas cruiseliner which left Sydney on December 4 with 4579 passengers and 1595 crew on board for a 12-day tour.
National Operation Commander Deputy Commissioner John Tims told a press conference they are hoping to collect a list of people who left the ship for the island this morning.
He also confirmed other tourists, including some who are believed to be Australian, remain on the island.
Officers have not been able to communicate with anybody still on the island.
'At this stage it is too dangerous for police and rescue services to go onto the island. It is currently covered in ash and volcanic material,' Deputy Commissioner Tims said.
Authorities cannot confirm whether the region is safe, and said the volcano could erupt again within the next 24 hours.
'It was not a particularly big eruption, it was almost like a throat clearing eruption and that's why material probably won't make it to mainland New Zealand,' Dr Ken Gledhill said.
'We can't be certain it won't erupt again in the next 24 hours,' he said.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern initially said there were about 100 people on or around the island at the time of the eruption.
Police have since confirmed that number is closer to 50, and said while 23 have been transported to shore, others are still missing.
Ms Ardern said the current focus is on the search and rescue mission for the people who are missing.
'Of those transported to shore, at least one has been critically injured,' a spokesman said.
'Emergency services are working to ensure the safety of everyone involved, including rescue staff.'
Most people who have been rescued from the island suffered various stages of burns.
A rescue operation is currently underway to save people who were pictured inside the crater at 2.10pm, minutes before the explosion, on the White Island Crater Rim camera.
Other shots from the camera, displayed online every 10 minutes, showed the blast before the camera went black.
A second, slightly smaller eruption went off at 3.45pm, according to local fishermen.
Allessandro Kauffmann, a Brazilian tourist who was in the first tour group for the morning said his group left the island 'just in time'.
'Some people have extensive burns on their bodies. Two tours on the volcano. Ours was the first. The other one right after. We left the island and wasn't even five minutes before it erupted. This other tour that arrived after couldn't leave in time,' he said in an Instagram post.
'Some people have serious burns. We had to stay to help those people who were on the island. The boat from this other tour was covered in ash from the volcano. Very tense talking about this. We just have to hope that all is as well as can be.'
Tourists from cruise liner Ovation of the Seas were visiting the island on Monday morning, according to the company's chief executive Mark Cairns.
He said the majority of those injured in the eruption are from the ship.
Judy Turner, the Mayor of Whakatane also confirmed tourists on the island had been injured in the blast.
A spokeswoman for Tourism Bay of Plenty said Volcanic Helicopters and one boat have still not been accounted for.
A White Island Tours boat carrying visitors was also close to the island, which is 48kms from the Bay of Plenty.
Calvin Kingi, who works for the tour company, posted on Facebook saying his group got out just in time.
'White Island just erupted as we left, we have our work mates and a tour still on the island, I hope they okay,' he wrote.
An emergency operation centre has reportedly been established at Whakatane Hospital.
A Westpac Rescue helicopter has reportedly been tasked with transporting blood from Auckland hospital to Whakatane.
Family members of people who were on the island at the time are slowly arriving on the wharf and waiting for any updates, according to local media.
Seven rescue helicopters have been trying to get to the island while others situated nearby are on standby.
Thick, black plumes of smoke are still filling the sky around the island.
The Volcanic Alert Level is currently at a four, meaning it is the second highest warning level and considered to be a 'moderate eruption.'
There is a 'possibility of a very large eruption' under the level four coding, as well as a further chance of a flank eruption, which is when simultaneous explosions occur around the volcano rather than from the summit alone.
Whakaari is New Zealand's only active marine volcano, and is also the nation's most active, with regular eruptions since 2012.
The most recent eruption prior to today was minor, and occurred in 2016.
At least 70 per cent of the volcano is under sea level, and a single crater makes up most of the island, which is frequently visited by tourists.
Geological hazard trackers GeoNet had registered moderate volcanic unrest on the island for weeks, before the eruption began at 12:10pm AEDT.
GNS Science said they are still monitoring conditions on the island and there had been a 'steady decline in activity, [though] there remains significant uncertainty.'
'Currently there are no signs of further eruptions, but we will continue to closely monitor Whakaari/White Island for further signs of activity.'
The local council says New Zealand Police and Bay of Plenty Civil Defence are working together to respond.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
