New Zealand's Whakaari - White Island volcano erupted in a dramatic blast, killing at least one person.  Several people are still unaccounted for, but police say it's too dangerous for them to go to the island to search.  

Radio New Zealand says that around 20 people are known to be injured at this time, seven of them critically.  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said around 100 people were believed to be on the island in the eastern Bay of Plenty, a couple of hundred kilometers southeast of Auckland.  The government later said fewer than 50 people were there, but of course numbers often change during events like these as information comes in. 

St. John's Director of Operations Norma Lane said experienced paramedics are "assessing casualties on the island and then coordinating the evacuation and those are in the main being flown directly to receiving hospitals in the region".  She added, "The number of casualties are yet to be determined but they are in the numbers of 20 plus, various levels of seriousness.  Obviously burns are the main issue."

Whakatane resident Don Richards witnessed several people evacuated from the island.  "There were seven ambulances backed up and they were being filled up with people coming off the boat," he said.  "Some of the people coming off the boats were in their underwear - they weren't wearing clothes.  There were women just wearing bras and it didn't look right.  I couldn't understand what I was looking at."

Seismic and volcanic activity at Whakaari - White Island has been building for months.  The volcanic alert had been raised to Level Two last month; before that, sulfur levels skyrocketed in June and a swarm of 200 earthquakes was detected in May.