New Zealand police revised upwards on Thursday, November 26, to 22 dead, the official toll of the eruption of the White Island volcano in 2019, taking into account the death of a 64-year-old German.
Horst Westenfelder died on July 2 of medical complications from his injuries during the eruption, police said in a statement.
Read also: New Zealand: opening of a criminal investigation after the volcanic eruption that killed 14 people
Forty-seven people, mainly Australian tourists, were surprised on December 9, 2019 by this eruption that occurred while visiting this volcanic island located in the north of New Zealand.
It is not known why it took nearly five months for this death to be formally attributed to the eruption.
WorkSafe, the agency overseeing workplace safety standards, has launched an investigation into why tourists were taken to the island three weeks after the eruption risk alert level was lifted.
It must present its findings before the first anniversary of the disaster.
