As the first anniversary of the Whakaari/White Island eruption tragedy approaches, one of the elite soldiers who recovered the victims’ bodies has spoken exclusively to 1 NEWS about the dramatic mission.
The 29-year-old, who can’t be named for security reasons, was part of the team sent to the island several days after the eruption and has described the weight of responsibility she felt for the grieving families.
She says the shared experience of what the team endured during that four-hour recovery mission will never leave them.
The anniversary comes a week after WorkSafe filed charges against 13 parties in relation to the eruption.
The organisation says its investigation focused on the period leading up to that tragic day, with post-eruption actions subject to other proceedings.
1 NEWS revealed on Friday that many of the agencies that responded to the emergency didn’t have a specific plan for dealing with an eruption on the island.
The team who treated the Whakaari victims in the days, weeks and months following the eruption have also been in the spotlight over the weekend in this paywalled feature from the Herald. In it, top burns surgeon Richard Wong She describes the immense pressure they felt in caring for the victims.
Stuff, meanwhile, has also looked at how the small choices victims made in what they wore on the island that day made a big difference in the extent of their burns.
The first anniversary of the eruption will be marked on Wednesday.
Sign up to get the Morning Briefing delivered direct to your inbox – here.
PM promises 'accountability'
It’s also a big week for another tragedy that hit New Zealand last year.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch mosque attacks is released tomorrow and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has promised “accountability” from the Government over its findings.
Ardern met with those affected by the March 15 shootings yesterday to address their concerns ahead of the report’s release. The 800-page document was released to survivors and the victims’ families on Saturday.
Ardern says she’s not ruling out appointing a minister to ensure the report's recommendations are carried out.
Alleged misconduct at MIQ facilities
Several Defence Force staff have been investigated for alleged misconduct at managed isolation or quarantine facilities.
The alleged incidents took place between August and November and include a civilian security guard being shown an explicit image on a phone.
Meanwhile, there’s a changing of the guard at the top of the country’s managed isolation facilities, with Air Commodore Darryn Webb finishing his six-month secondment as head of the operations this Friday.
NZ Army Land Component Commander Brigadier Jim Bliss is set to take over the role.
And as Covid-19 vaccines begin their rollout in parts of the world, Tourism Minister Stuart Nash says the Government is still unsure when it will allow international tourists back into the country .
He told TVNZ’s Q+A it would happen “at some point”, even if not all Kiwis have been vaccinated.
His comments come as the UK gears up for a huge vaccination plan . Russia has also begun mass vaccination of its residents , using the country’s own vaccine, Sputnik V.
Business a better investment?
Small businesses could be a better place to invest your cash than buying a home, according to new research.
ABC Business Sale has released data showing the average cost of a business is just over $650,000, while the average house price is $725,000. A business is also more likely to have higher yearly returns than a house.
ABC Business says New Zealand’s culture needs to be tilted towards business and its positive effect on productivity, employment and GDP.
However, they say the simplicity of residential real estate compared to investing in business is a big factor.
Alarm over blood donor shortage
There’s an urgent call for blood donors, with thousands more needed to meet the country’s increasing demand.
Every 18 minutes, someone in New Zealand requires blood and the Blood Foundation is worried it will fall short during the upcoming holidays.
There are currently more than 110,000 donors nationwide, however there are still 30,000 appointments that need to be filled in December and January.
Other news of note this morning:
- Tens of millions of California residents are heading back into lockdown as health officials warn hospitals are close to breaking point.
- The Cook Island Corrections Service is defending its decision to release a child sex offender into the Rarotonga community on work detail.
- Police continue to search for a man who fired several shots at a popular Auckland bar over the weekend.
- A marketing professor is advising The Safety Warehouse to apologise and hire a good public relations company, after their promotional stunt ended in violence .
- RNZ reports some rural schools may have to move to online classes as they struggle to find enough teachers for next year.
- Thousands of Aucklanders have turned up to the city’s Boring Day Out to sneak a peek at the massive tunnel borer working on the next phase of the underground rail line.
- And TVNZ’s Good Sorts series celebrates a travel agent who used her Covid-induced spare time to help a stranger facing his own upheaval .
And finally...
'Tis the season for festive baking, so comedian James Mustapic has taken it upon himself to construct a gingerbread house for a special Christmas edition of Re: series Comedians Cook.
In case it’s not obvious from the above picture, he’s never used his oven before – but what the house lacks in aesthetics, it makes up for in flavour. Allegedly.
SHARE ME