WHAKATANE – A New Zealand military team recovered six bodies on Friday from the volcanic island that fatally erupted earlier this week.
Six of the eight bodies on the island were successfully retrieved and taken to a naval patrol vessel for transfer to the mainland for disaster victim identification.
The team was unable to find and recover the remaining two bodies as the protective equipment they needed to wear slowed down the operation.
The volcano, a popular tourist destination, erupted on Monday with 47 people on the island.
Over two dozen people are in hospitals across New Zealand and Australia, most with severe burn injuries.(Reuters)
