A volcano that erupted three years ago and killed 22 people could erupt again "at any time" but "much larger", an expert has warned.
Whakaari, also known as White Island, is an active volcano island in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty.
On December 9, 2019, it exploded while 47 tourists were on the island. 22 died – either at the time or later from the injuries they sustained.
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Those who survived suffered horrifying injuries, such as Stephanie Browitt who had severe burns on 70% of her body and was left in a coma for two weeks.
Some had to endure the 90 minute boat journey to the mainland before they received medical attention. Others were rescued by commercial pilots flying helicopters.
Whakaari has not erupted since 2019 but continues to display constant low-level volcanic activity.
According to Shane Cronin, a volcanologist and Whakaari expert at the University of Auckland, it could erupt again "at any time".
He told Newsweek: "The monitoring of Whakaari has remained steady or slightly declined since 2019 because no one has been able to visit to service the seismic stations.
"The next eruption could happen at any time, given that the volcano can be triggered by several different mechanisms, both internal [new magma] or external [sealing of the top], both of which are highly unpredictable."
Whakaari is currently at Alert Level 2 – which is higher than any of New Zealand's other active volcanoes – meaning it is showing "moderate to heightened volcanic unrest".
The scale goes up to Alert Level 5, although Alert Level 2 is the highest a volcano can be without erupting.
Cronin also said that Whakaari's next eruption could be a lot bigger than the one in 2019.
He explained: "The scale of the 2019 eruption was very small. Whakaari can produce eruptions of this size or much larger.
"On the Volcanic Explosivity Index Scale this eruption was a VEI 0 or possibly 1. This volcano could produce eruptions up to VEI 4-5."
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