Volcanic eruption on White Island, NZ (outside of Tauranga)

[Pushka]

Sadly the Husband and step daughter of the family from Adelaide have been confirmed as deceased. His wife and the teens mother fights for her life in Hospital. I know what I would be wishing if I was her having received extensive burns and losing her family.

 

[drron]

A mother and daughter from Brisbane also confirmed deceased.47 and 20.

 

[get me outta here]

Interesting article re the Volcano eruption deaths and terrible injuries now being discussed by the TI and lawyers. I hope we hear the outcomes, as there are implications for us all.

Cruise company offers one-day refund after deadly volcano tragedy

A letter to passengers says the company is "terribly sorry" guests will be unable to visit Dunedin and The Sounds.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Denali]

I was saying over breakfast yesterday that talk would soon turn to insurance coverage and cruise ship refunds/charges.

Considering cruise lines charge such exorbitant rates for outings, I hope someone in the back office is cancelling credit card charges.

 

[UP4014]

I think with the cruise company offering visits to a volcano unless they had a vulcanologist on board warning passengers of the risk there should be no issue of insurance trying not to pay.

However we all know what insurance companies are like. Royal Commission anyone.

 

[Pushka]

I think the NZ Government covers all medical costs for accidents according to something I read online yesterday.

 

[UP4014]

I think the NZ Government covers all medical costs for accidents according to something I read online yesterday.

They also have capped payouts for death and injury, these are quite low compared with what we would expect in Australia.

 

[Hvr]

People with serious burns from the volcano eruption have arrived at Essendon Airport on a private jet. They will be transferred to the Alfred Hospital for treatment.

 

[Pushka]

People with serious burns from the volcano eruption have arrived at Essendon Airport on a private jet. They will be transferred to the Alfred Hospital for treatment.

I expect that these people aren’t the ones with the most serious burns. Simply the ones that can be removed. There is a report on NZ media about the first response team at the Small local hospital that was inundated. It sounds horrific.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[eric2011]

Something I read somewhere else.
New Zealand has a no fault accident compensation scheme. All those injured will be treated, for free by the NZ health system. The other side of the bargain is that you cannot sue for an accident in New Zealand law. This applies to visitors not just locals.

 

[Pushka]

Something I read somewhere else.
New Zealand has a no fault accident compensation scheme. All those injured will be treated, for free by the NZ health system. The other side of the bargain is that you cannot sue for an accident in New Zealand law. This applies to visitors not just locals.

I think the entity that may be sued will be the US based cruise line.

 

[eric2011]

I think the entity that may be sued will be the US based cruise line.

That may be where its going but I am sure RCI had some high powered lawyers write up the disclaimers etc. Will only be 1 winner in all this.
I would assume any legal action against RCI would have to be filed and fought in the US

 

[Pushka]

That may be where its going but I am sure RCI had some high powered lawyers write up the disclaimers etc. Will only be 1 winner in all this.
I would assume any legal action against RCI would have to be filed and fought in the US

Agree. Lawyers will be salivating. I also heard today that the family where the grandfather held a child up to a window and resulted In the awful tragedy of her death, is now suing RCI as they state the child was playing in a child area and the window shouldnt have been open.

 

[Denali]

Agree. Lawyers will be salivating. I also heard today that the family where the grandfather held a child up to a window and resulted In the awful tragedy of her death, is now suing RCI as they state the child was playing in a child area and the window shouldnt have been open.

In that case, the window should not have been open and now the police are torturing the family more with charges against the grandfather. An absolute tragedy for the family thats being made worse.

 

[eric2011]

Agree. Lawyers will be salivating. I also heard today that the family where the grandfather held a child up to a window and resulted In the awful tragedy of her death, is now suing RCI as they state the child was playing in a child area and the window shouldnt have been open.

In that case, the window should not have been open and now the police are torturing the family more with charges against the grandfather. An absolute tragedy for the family thats being made worse.

I fully agree that if this was a play area then the window should not have been open, I guess the question is who opened the window, was it a guest who was there before and walked off and didn't shut it. This area would have been converted from the ships original design and into the play area. I have seen these windows on cruise ships I have been on and they would be impossible for a child to open so to me that would indicate that an adult would have opened it and I think it unlikely a ships crew would have done it. I do think it is highly risky for a responsible adult to hold a small child who is most probably wriggling and squirming in their arms up to and slightly outside of an open window 10 storeys off the ground. Remember the Michael Jackson affair and the outcry when that was made public. That will be why the police are haunting the grandfather as they will believe it was an unsafe procedure.

Just my thoughts, don't shoot me

 

[moa999]

I expect that these people aren’t the ones with the most serious burns. Simply the ones that can be removed. .

Reportedly all 5-6 burns units in NZ are at capacity - and they're importing 120m² of skin grafts from the US.

Burns are a long recovery issue. Better to have the Aussies back home to reduce the issues at NZ hospitals and have them closer to friends and families.

 

[Pushka]

I fully agree that if this was a play area then the window should not have been open, I guess the question is who opened the window, was it a guest who was there before and walked off and didn't shut it. This area would have been converted from the ships original design and into the play area. I have seen these windows on cruise ships I have been on and they would be impossible for a child to open so to me that would indicate that an adult would have opened it and I think it unlikely a ships crew would have done it. I do think it is highly risky for a responsible adult to hold a small child who is most probably wriggling and squirming in their arms up to and slightly outside of an open window 10 storeys off the ground. Remember the Michael Jackson affair and the outcry when that was made public. That will be why the police are haunting the grandfather as they will believe it was an unsafe procedure.

Just my thoughts, don't shoot me

No I agree. . But likely it’s one of those things he’s probably done countless times before even maybe on the cruise ship prior but just this one time it goes horribly horribly wrong.

 

[VPS]

I fully agree that if this was a play area then the window should not have been open, I guess the question is who opened the window, was it a guest who was there before and walked off and didn't shut it. This area would have been converted from the ships original design and into the play area. I have seen these windows on cruise ships I have been on and they would be impossible for a child to open so to me that would indicate that an adult would have opened it and I think it unlikely a ships crew would have done it. I do think it is highly risky for a responsible adult to hold a small child who is most probably wriggling and squirming in their arms up to and slightly outside of an open window 10 storeys off the ground. Remember the Michael Jackson affair and the outcry when that was made public. That will be why the police are haunting the grandfather as they will believe it was an unsafe procedure.

Just my thoughts, don't shoot me

I don't there was an open window, I think it was just an opening from what I remember and the grandfather thought it was just clear glass

 

[eric2011]

I don't there was an open window, I think it was just an opening from what I remember and the grandfather thought it was just clear glass

take a look at the video about 1min12sec in

 

[Hvr]

Reportedly all 5-6 burns units in NZ are at capacity - and they're importing 120m² of skin grafts from the US.

Sadly it's a lot more than that:

New Zealand's Middlemore Hospital has ordered 1.2 million centimetres of donor skin from the US

Victims flown to Australia as medicos order emergency skin in volcano response

Up to 10 Australian victims will be flown home for extensive treatment at specialist burns units at the nation's top hospitals. They face a long recovery.

www.smh.com.au