White Island owners found guilty over eruption deaths
The final defendant in the White island volcanic eruption negligence court case has been found guilty.
Judge Evangelos Thomas ruled Whakaari Management Limited negligent in its interactions with its partners who organised tours to the island, known as Whakaari.
Its dealings with tour operators was ‘ad hoc, unstructured and incomplete when much more was required,’ the judge said.
“It was fundamental that it engaged the necessary expertise to assess risks arising from the conduct of commercial tours on its active volcano.”
The deadly eruption in 2019 killed 22 people.
Whakaari Management Limited had been licensing other businesses to run tours on the island.
Individual charges against the owners, who are three brothers, were previously thrown out but allowed to stand for the company.
Twelve other companies were originally charged by NZ health and safety agency WorkSafe.
Six pleaded guilty and another six had their charges dismissed.
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