The coronial inquiry into the 2019 Whakaari/White Island eruption started in Whakatāne on Friday morning with a prayer and mihi from local iwi Ngāti Awa.
Twenty-two people died and 25 people were injured, most of them seriously, after they were onthe island when it erupted on December 9, sending ash 3.6km into the air.
Talking about the island, Coroner Marcus Elliott said that over its history it had sustained life and taken life. He acknowledged the great deal of human kindness on display after the eruption.
Counsel assisting the bereaved families and survivors, Anna Adams, presented an acknowledgment to those who died and who survived. The moving tribute included details of each, their character and how much their families missed them.
It was followed by a group statement from survivors and family members read by police-family liaison officer Constable Leanne Fairbairn. The statement said it was hard to overstate the emotional burden the eruption has placed on those involved.
“Every bereaved family member and survivor has explained that their lives changed forever following the eruption.”
The group statement also noted the negative impact of media attention on those affected.
“Many bereaved families and survivors, particularly those overseas, had extreme pressure placed on them, with media knocking on their doors asking for interviews, asking for photos, while they themselves were barely coming to terms with what had occurred.
“This attention and interest significantly impacted their ability to process what was occurring and to engage with the trauma they were experiencing.”
The bereaved families described a faded life without the joy and love of the people they lost.
Although many of the survivors were trying to move on, the statement noted that survivors have often been limited in pursuing their past activities and their scars, tightening over time, needed treatment, creams, and to be kept out of the sun.
“A permanent reminder of what they went through and that their life will never be the same.”
Coroner Marcus Elliot. Photo / George Heard
Through the statement, the bereaved families and survivors asked that each interested party reflect on what changes could have been made and how a similar event could be prevented from ever happening again.
“Because 47 lives, their families, their loved ones, their friends, their supporters have been changed as permanently as the physical and emotional scars they bear. Because, on the 9th of December 2019, the force of nature went far beyond the physical.”
The group statement was followed by personal statements from survivors and their family members.
Identifying the people making each statement was not allowed by the court.
At least one survivor said they should never have been on the island.
Others mentioned the pain of waiting for news of their loved ones, especially as the bodies of some victims remained on the island for several days or were never recovered.
In several personal statements, it was suggested the island should be handed over to the Government and never used again for tourism.
The inquest has broken for lunch and will resume on Friday afternoon.
RNZ can report on the inquest only when the court adjourns twice a day.
