Death toll in New Zealand volcano eruption rises to 17

The death toll in the volcanic eruption in New Zealand's White Island has risen to 17 after another person died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Auckland, police said, as cited by CNN.

The eruption at the White Island occurred on December 9, at a time when as many as 47 tourists were visiting the volcano.

The White Island is New Zealand's most active cone volcano, according to the GeoNet. It has been built up by more than 150,000 years of volcanic activity. The island itself is visited by more than 10,000 people every year.