A judge in an Auckland court has ordered $9.56 million in reparation to be paid to families of victims and survivors of the Whakaari White Island disaster. Five guilty parties, including Whakaari Management Limited and White Island Tours, were sentenced for their involvement in the incident.
A judge in the long-running prosecution over the Whakaari White Island disaster has ordered $NZ10.21 million ($9.56 million) in reparation be paid to families of victims and survivors in an Auckland court. Judge Evangelos Thomas also sentenced five guilty parties , with the largest penalty of $978,000 handed to Whakaari Management Limited , the company held by the owners of the volcano.
White Island Tours was the company operating walking tours on the volcano that day, and was fined $483,900 for breaches of New Zealand's workplace health and safety legislation and ordered to contribute $4.68 million to reparation payments. Judge Thomas said White Island Tours failed to adequately communicate with its tourism partners and booking agents and ultimately the tourists it brought to Whakaari were not briefed on safety information before being on the volcano. The five guilty parties sentenced this morning also included Volcanic Air Safaris, Aerius Limited and Kahu NZ Limite
Judge Reparation Whakaari White Island Disaster Auckland Court Victims Survivors Guilty Parties Whakaari Management Limited White Island Tours