A police operation to recover the bodies trapped in Monday's eruption on Whakaari/White Island has resulted in six bodies removed from the scene.
A team of eight specialist staff landed on the still-active volcano at about 8.30am today
Police announced just before 11.00am that six of the eight bodies were being prepared to be airlifted off the island.
The bodies lay around 300 metres from the crater, within 200 square metres, in small clusters.
Police had foreshadowed their inability to locate all eight bodies believed to be on the island, with surveillance only identifying six bodies among the debris and ash.
They said they would only look for the remaining two if they had time and believed it safe to do so.
The high-risk rescue occurred despite raised seismic activity in the wake of Monday's blast - GNS Science has reported a 50 to 60 per cent chance of a further eruption.
Deputy police commissioner Mike Clement said conditions mimicked the still morning at nearby Whakatāne, 50km from the volcano.
"The volcano is behaving, the sea state is manageable in terms of getting people on and off the island, all of those things are within our favour," he said of the recovery operation.
Clement paid tribute to the fortitude of those conducting the mission.
"Everybody has a rich appreciation of the absolute bravery of everyone involved, particularly those going onto the island," he said
"They will say 'it's their job' but the reality is we need people like that to do their job to get beyond moments like this."
Currently 17 survivors are being cared for at four hospitals around New Zealand – Middlemore, Hutt Valley, Waikato, and Christchurch.
Thirteen of these patients are critical.
So far 11 patients have been transferred to Australia and are being treated in hospital.
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