Whakaari / White Island eruption: 'We are incredibly saddened'

Friends and a school principal have paid tribute to five Australians who died in the Whakaari/White Island eruption.

The official death toll from New Zealand authorities rose to eight with two people dying in hospital overnight. One was being treated at Middlemore Hospital and one at Waikato Hospital, police said. Eight more are presumed dead on the island.

Two Australian brothers Matthew and Berend (Ben) Hollander have died in hospital following the eruption, the principal of their school has confirmed.

The boys were travelling with their parents, Martin and Barbara, who are unaccounted for.

Knox Grammar School principal Scott James said Matthew, a Year 8 student, had a close circle of friends and was always enthusiastic about life.

He was involved in cadets and represented the school in basketball, squash and debating.

"He was always enthusiastic about life and was actively involved in school and year group activities."

His brother Ben, who was a Year 10 student, had a great love for the outdoors and was a compassionate, enthusiastic student, James said.

"Ben's engaging smile and quirky sense of humour made him a good mate to his close group of friends and a welcome member to every classroom."

Read more on the Whakaari/White Island eruption:

• Follow RNZ's live blog for the latest
• Whakaari / White Island: the dead and the missing
• NZ needs to be clearer with tourists about risks - professor

Last night Australians Jason Griffiths, Karla Mathews and Richard Elzer, were confirmed dead in a joint statement issued by their friends and the Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

They had been travelling with a group of nine friends on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship and were on an excursion to the island when the volcano erupted.

"On the 4th of December 2019, we embarked upon a cruise as a group of 9 close friends who were looking forward to a wonderful holiday together," the statement from the friends said.

"We enjoyed the first five days of our trip and have many memories that will stay with us forever. On the 9th of December 2019, we were devastated by the news that three of our friends were visiting White Island on a shore excursion during the time of the eruption.

"Some time later, we discovered that two of our friends, Richard Elzer and Karla Mathews, were still on the island. We have been advised that there are no signs of life on the island.

"We then located our third friend, Jason Griffiths, in a hospital in the early hours of the next morning. From that moment until the moment of his passing, Jason was surrounded by friends and family members.

In the message, signed by Alex, Daniel, Ellie, Leanne, Paul and Samantha, they said they were "incredibly saddened to have lost three of our closest friends".

Patients airlifted to Australian hospitals

The Australian government is helping transfer critically injured patients to facilities in Sydney, Melbourne and possibly Adelaide.

Patients from Canterbury, Middlemore and Wellington were flown to Australia overnight and early this morning, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield told Morning Report.

"They are judged by the clinicians as well enough and stable enough to be transported, but just to reiterate the messages over the last few days, many of these people have very serious burns and a number of them covering quite a significant proportion of their skin, as well as that some injuries to the lungs, so really affecting their respiration."

Dr Bloomfield said there were plans to take up to a total of 13 to Australia.

"That's going to be an amazing contribution to us, not only being able to ensure those people can continue to receive great care nearer to their families and communities but also to help free up capacity within our burns units and most importantly create a little bit of space for the staff to get some rest. They've been working some very long hours."

"Australia offered help and assistance very early on in the piece, before we even asked."

Dr Bloomfield said the government had activated its multiple complex burn action plan for the first time as hospitals deal with the unprecedented number of critical burns patients.

"The national burns unit takes over the clinical oversight and care of the full group of people to ensure they are in the right place and if not they are transferred and that capacity is freed up in the right places to ensure they can receive the best possible care."

Middlemore has more burns patients than they would would usually see in an entire year, he said.