Whakaari: New footage shows moment White Island volcano erupted

Tourists and staff run away from the volcano as it erupts in newly-released footage shown in court

New video has emerged of the moment a volcano erupted in New Zealand, killing 22 people, in a trial of three tourism companies and three directors charged with safety breaches over the disaster.

Most of the 47 people on Whakaari – also known as White Island – when it erupted on December 9, 2019, were tourists, including two Britons.

Survivors say they weren’t warned of the danger, and footage played at Auckland District Court on Wednesday showed tourists and staff running for their lives as the volcano erupted.

Most of the 25 who escaped were left with severe burns.

American Lauren Urey, 35, was one of the tourists who made it off the island – but on Wednesday she told the court how she was certain she and her new husband were going to die.

“He was just screaming in agony. I’ve never heard him scream like that before. I remember he said he was sorry,” she said, describing how the honeymooning couple hid behind rocks and held hands.

“I remember me screaming in agony. My body was sizzling,” she added. “I said: ‘I Iove you so much. I’m going to die today’.”

She struggled to put her respirator on due to the force of the volcano, but was determined to hold her husband's hand, adding: “I was positive we were going to die and if were we going to die, I wanted to be next to him.”

Husband Matt, 39, had booked the tour with Royal Caribbean cruise ship Ovation of the Seas, but Lauren said she was concerned by the prospect of visiting a live volcano.

“I was paranoid, to be honest. I was really iffy about the volcano months before we even went on it,” she said.

She said a guide had assured her that an early warning system on the island would alert them 10 minutes before any eruption.

Wearing a hard hat on the volcano was compulsory, she said, but wearing a respirator was optional.

Matt wept as he recalled checking on his wife's condition while they crouched behind rocks, with both covered in ash.

He said he helped her back to the boat, lifting her back to her feet after she stumbled and badly burnt her right hand.

“We couldn’t run anymore because the ash was so thick. We were walking as fast as we could back towards the boat,” he said.

The badly-burned couple managed to make their way from the island, but both spent weeks in hospitals.

Lauren said she was given no warning of the dangers of an eruption or advice to wear protective clothing.

“My husband would never put my life or his life at risk and I trusted my husband. I would have no reason not to trust him,” she said.

Matt said he was not told until they had almost reached the island that there was a “stage two" volcanic alert level, which meant that parts of the island were off limits.

“They didn't really explain what that meant,” he said.

“I thought there must be more steam venting than usual or something like that. I certainly didn't interpret it as… there's a risk of an eruption,” he added.

Under New Zealand's six-tier Volcanic Alert Level system, Level 2 denotes moderate to heightened volcanic unrest – hazards include a potential eruption.

Level 3 is a minor volcanic eruption with eruption hazards near the vent.

Matt said he never would have risked the tour if he had understood the alert level.

“I never in my wildest dreams would have gone on that island had I known an eruption was Level 3. We were on our honeymoon, we were just looking to relax. We weren’t looking for thrills,” he said.

Matt said he suffered burns to 53% of his body, while Lauren said she has undergone around one surgery a month, including skin grafts, for three years.

The island’s owners, brothers Andrew, James and Peter Buttle; their company Whakaari Management Ltd.; as well as tour operators ID Tours NZ Ltd. and Tauranga Tourism Services Ltd. have pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

Other tour operators have pleaded guilty and will be fined at a later date.

Each of the companies faces a maximum fine of 1.5 million New Zealand dollars (£713,000). Each of the brothers charged faces a maximum fine of NZ$300,000 (£142,000).

The trial, scheduled to run for 16 weeks, is being heard by Judge Evangelos Thomas without a jury.

It began on Tuesday and was adjourned until Thursday after the couple testified.

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