2 Chinese nationals among those injured in New Zealand volcanic eruption

An official from the Chinese embassy in New Zealand told Xinhua that an emergency response had been activated and Chinese Ambassador Wu Xi led the team. The embassy was working with local police to check if there were any Chinese nationals among the dead.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said "no signs of life have been seen at any point" after helicopters and aircraft undertook a number of aerial reconnaissance flights over the island since the eruption.

"It is now clear that there were two groups on the island -- those who were able to be evacuated and those who were close to the eruption," Ardern said in a statement.

Shane Cronin, a professor of Earth Sciences at University of Auckland with research interests in volcano-tectonic interactions and instability, told local media that the White Island is one of several volcanoes in New Zealand that can produce sudden explosive eruptions at any time.

"In this case, magma is shallow, and the heat and gases affect surface and ground water to form vigorous hydrothermal systems," Cronin wrote.

The White Island is a famous tourist attraction in New Zealand. People can explore the volcanic island by boat or by helicopter. If safety conditions permit, visitors can even enter the main crater.