At least 5 people are dead after a New Zealand volcano erupted. Experts say the disaster was not predictable, despite warning signs.

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• At least five people are dead, eight are missing, and more than 30 are injured after one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes erupted on Monday afternoon. 
• Over the last month, New Zealand's geological monitoring agency had raised the volcanic-alert level on White Island, where the eruption occurred.
• But according to experts, a blast like this one can't be easily predicted, since it was steam-driven, not magma-driven. 
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New Zealand's most active volcano erupted on Monday afternoon, sending plumes of ash, volcanic rock, and scalding steam more than 12,000 feet into the air over Whakaari, or White Island.

That debris then rained down onto unsuspecting tourists on the island, with fatal consequences. Five people were killed, eight are missing, and more than 30 have been hospitalized with burns and injuries. The victims include New Zealanders and tourists from the US, China, Australia, Britain ,and Malaysia, who were visiting the island from a cruise ship, the Associated Press reported.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SEE ALSO: Scientists have figured out how to better predict where and when volcanoes will erupt — and their models accurately pinpointed disasters of the past

SEE ALSO: Webcam live feed showed tourists inside New Zealand volcano right before it erupted and killed at least 5

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