20 people are missing including tourists after a volcano on New Zealand’s popular White Island tourist destination erupted Monday. Among them may be passengers on the Ovation of the Sea Cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises

Speaking at a press conference New Zealand National Operation Commander Deputy Commissioner John Tims said the fatality was a person who had already been evacuated from the island.

Tims said that there could be more than 20 people still on the island who had not been heard from since the eruption. It is too dangerous for police and rescue services to go on to the island… the island is currently covered in ash and volcanic material.

It’s still not clear who was on White Island when it erupted. Passengers from a cruise ship visited White Island Monday may be among them. White Island is close to the Port of Tauranga located in Tauranga, New Zealand. It is the largest port in the country.

A spokesperson for Port of Tauranga confirmed that passengers from the Cruise liner Ovation Of The Seas were on the island on Monday. However, it remains unclear whether the tourists were still on the island when the volcano erupted at 2:15 p.m. local time.

The tour to White Island had been officially organized by the cruise operator, a spokeswoman for the Port Of Tauranga said. The vessel was set to leave the port on Monday, but will now stay at the port for an undisclosed amount of time.

The Ovation of The Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, according to operators Royal Caribbean. The company is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the government was working on the assumption that a number of people on the island at the time of the eruption were tourists.

WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the government was working on the assumption that a number of people on the island at the time of the eruption were tourists.
A spokesperson for Port of Tauranga confirmed that passengers from the Cruise liner Ovation Of The Seas were on the island on Monday.
The Ovation of The Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, according to operators Royal Caribbean.