{"id":120604,"date":"2023-10-31T15:39:48","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T15:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yourclomid.com\/?p=120604"},"modified":"2023-10-31T15:39:48","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T15:39:48","slug":"company-which-owned-volcano-found-guilty-of-major-failure-after-22-killed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yourclomid.com\/world-news\/company-which-owned-volcano-found-guilty-of-major-failure-after-22-killed\/","title":{"rendered":"Company which ‘owned’ volcano found guilty of ‘major failure’ after 22 killed"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A New Zealand company which ‘owned’ an active volcano where 22 people were killed during a deadly eruption in 2019 has been found to have breached safety regulations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A court in Auckland found that the management firm failed in duty to ensure the safety of visitors to White Island, also known as Whakaari.<\/p>\n

The eruption left another 25 people injured.<\/p>\n

The judge ruled that Whakaari Management Ltd had failed to complete the necessary risk assessment despite a visit coming three years after an eruption.<\/p>\n

Judge Evangelos Thomas branded the failure to carry out the risk assessment as a\u00a0“major failure”.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong> Supervolcano could be ‘gearing up to explode’ with consequences explained<\/strong><\/p>\n

Judge Thomas said:\u00a0“It was a reasonably practicable step it should have taken to ensure it met its duty.”<\/p>\n

The court dismissed a second charge against the safety of workers on the island.<\/p>\n

The trial ran for three months heard cases brought by regulators against 13 defendants\u00a0<\/p>\n

Of these six have pleaded guilty while another six had their charges thrown out.<\/p>\n

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Whakaari Management Ltd was the final defendant to go before the court.<\/p>\n

The firm operates as a holding company for the island’s landowners Peter, Andrew and James Buttle.<\/p>\n

Three companies offering helicopter trips, one offering boat tours, and one offering scenic flights have previously admitted guilt.<\/p>\n

They are scheduled to be sentenced in February and face a maximum fine of NZ$1.5 million (\u00a3720,000).<\/p>\n