Crews in New Zealand recover six victims from White Island's volcanic eruption
Military specialists wore protective clothing and used breathing apparatus to protect themselves against toxic gasses on the island.
The two bodies that have yet to be recovered from the highly volatile island in New Zealand where a volcano erupted last week were identified by police Tuesday as an Australian teenager and a tour guide.
New Zealand police said the bodies of Winona Langford, 17, of Sydney and New Zealander Hayden Marshall-Inman, 40, have yet to be accounted for.
The remains of the two are believed to be in the waters around the island, but officials called off the search due to storms in the forecast making for rough water conditions.
NEW ZEALAND VOLCANO DISASTER: 6 OF 8 BODIES RECOVERED FROM TOURIST ISLAND, OFFICIALS SAY
Langford's parents, Anthony and Kristine Langford, also died in the eruption, while her brother, Jesse, is being treated for severe burns at a hospital in Sydney, according to Sky News.
This photo released by the New Zealand Defence Force shows an operation to recover bodies from White Island after a volcanic eruption in Whakatane, New Zealand, Friday, Dec. 13, 2019. (New Zealand Defence Force via AP)
In a previously released statement from the Langford family, Anthony and Kristine Langford were described as “loving parents.”
"They will be greatly missed by all who knew them," the statement said.
The eruption last week killed at least 18 people, and authorities on Tuesday released the names of three of those who died: Australians Richard Elzer, 32, and Julie Richards, 47, and Sydney-based U.S. citizen Barbara Hollander, 49.
Of the 47 people on White Island on Dec. 9 when it erupted, 24 were Australian citizens and four others were residents of Australia.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, right, sits with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne durng a meeting in Wellington on Dec 16, 2019. (Hagen Hopkins/Pool Photo via AP)
"I don't think any one of us can begin to imagine what those families are facing in the coming weeks and months," Australia's foreign minister, Marise Payne, told reporters on Tuesday. “Here in places like Auckland, in Sydney, we're surrounded by Christmas and celebration, but they face tragedy and devastation."
NEW ZEALAND MISSION TO RECOVER BODIES FROM 'HIGHLY VOLATILE' VOLCANO ISLAND GETS UNDERWAY
Scientists have warned that White Island, which is the exposed tip of a mostly undersea volcano, is highly volatile, and has been venting steam and mud regularly. Another eruption on the island is still possible.
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The operation to recover the bodies began last week, and military specialists were able to recover six bodies last Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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