- Title: Maori prayers are held for volcano victims as officals plan to retrieve bodies
- Date: 12th December 2019
- Summary: WHITE ISLAND, WHAKATANE, NEW ZEALAND (DECEMBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PLUME OF SMOKE RISING FROM WHITE ISLAND VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ATTENDING AND ENTERING TRADITIONAL MAORI PRAYER AT TRADITIONAL HOUSE LOCAL STAFF IN FRONT OF MAORI TRADITIONAL MEETING HOUSE MAORI CARVING WOMAN HUGGING CHILD AS THEY LEAVE BUILDING STATUES VARIOUS PEOPLE EXITING BUILDING PEOPLE HUGGING LOCAL WOMEN MAKING ROSE-SHAPED FLOWERS FROM HARAKEKE FLAX WHILE OBSERVING WHITE ISLAND WHITE ISLAND (SOUNDBITE) (English) WHAKATANE RESIDENT, DEBZ, SAYING: "I actually think they should let him (pilot) do it, cause he knows the island better than anyone else, cause he's worked on there most of his life I think. And he knows exactly where they are. I'm watching the news and he's saying it can just take 20 minutes and he'll have them off there. But I understand sending someone else out there it might blow." DEBZ MAKING ROSE SHAPED FLOWER FROM HARAKEKE FLAX (SOUNDBITE) (English) WHAKATANE LOCAL, DEBZ, SAYING: "Just making a rose from harakeke flax and just going to make bouquet to put on the fence down there with the rest of the flowers down on the fence there." SIGN AND FLOWERS ON FENCE VARIOUS OF CAMERA OPERATOR FILMING
- Embargoed: 26th December 2019 02:21
- Keywords: Maori ceremomy victims volcano
- Location: WHITE ISLAND, WHAKATANE, NEW ZEALAND
- City: WHITE ISLAND, WHAKATANE, NEW ZEALAND
- Country: New Zealand
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Earthquakes/Volcanoes/Tsunami
- Reuters ID: LVA001B9O7HHJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Family and friends of victims of the New Zealand volcano eruption held traditional Maori ceremonies to grieve on Thursday (December 12) as authorities finalised plans to retrieve bodies still on White Island.
The death toll from the Monday (December 9) eruption rose to eight and was likely to grow with eight victims presumed dead on the island and more than 20 in intensive care suffering severe burns.
The volcano was "highly volatile" but police said they were preparing to bring back bodies on Friday (December 13)
There were 47 people on the island, also known by its Maori name Whakaari, at the time of the eruption. Twenty-four of those were from Australia, nine from the United States, five from New Zealand, four from Germany, two each from China and Britain and one from Malaysia.
(Production: James Redmayne, Masako Iijima) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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