A cruise ship involved in the White Island eruptions has been linked to another tragedy with a passenger dying onboard the New Zealand-bound vessel.
The person died yesterday as the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship sailed from Sydney towards Bay of Islands, operator Royal Caribbean has confirmed.
There had been speculation on social media that the passenger had flu-like symptoms and the death could be linked to the deadly coronavirus.
But Royal Caribbean has ruled this out, saying it was from natural causes and unrelated to the global outbreak.
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson said the dead passenger's family had been informed and the company was providing them with assistance during this difficult time.