Twenty-two people died in the 2019 New Zealand disaster, mostly US and Australian cruise ship passengers on a walking tourThe owners of an island volcano in New Zealand where 22 tourists and local guides died in an eruption had their criminal conviction for failing to keep visitors safe thrown out by a judge on Friday.The release of the decision followed a three-day hearing last October for the owners’ company at the high court in the city of Auckland where they appealed against the charges laid by New Zealand’s workplace health and safety regulator after the 2019 eruption of Whakaari, also known as White Island. Continue reading...
In 2019, the Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption in New Zealand resulted in the deaths of 22 people. The owners of the volcano, three brothers operating under Whakaari Management, were initially convicted of failing to ensure visitor safety. However, their conviction was overturned by a judge. The company had faced significant fines and restitution payments to victims, mostly US and Australian tourists. The appeal argued that the owners should not be held responsible under workplace safety laws, and the court's decision, following a three-day hearing, concluded that the conviction should not stand. This ruling has implications for how landowners manage safety for public activities.
