Toll rises to 21 from New Zealand volcano eruption

HANDOUT / NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE / AFP

One more person has died from injuries suffered from last month's White Island volcano eruption, taking the death toll to 21.

In a statement, New Zealand police said the identity of the deceased will be released after family members have been informed.

Out of the official tally, 18 people have died in New Zealand and two in hospitals in Australia.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had earlier announced that official inquiries into the eruption will take up to a year. 

More from International News

  • US Senate passes Trump's tax-cut, spending bill; sends to House

    The Republican-controlled US Senate passed President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill on Tuesday, signing off on a massive package that would enshrine many of his top domestic priorities into law while adding $3.3 trillion to the national debt.

  • France shuts schools as heatwave grips Europe

    More than a thousand schools were closed in France on Tuesday and the top floor of the Eiffel Tower was shut to tourists as a severe heatwave continued to grip Europe, triggering health alerts across the region.

  • Blow for Thailand's government as court suspends PM from duty

    Thailand's Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from duty pending a case seeking her dismissal, in a major setback for a government under fire on multiple fronts and fighting for its survival.

  • Trump signs order lifting sanctions on Syria, White House says

    President Donald Trump has signed an executive order terminating a US sanctions programme on Syria, allowing an end to the country's isolation from the international financial system and building on Washington's pledge to help it rebuild after a devastating civil war.

Blogs