New Zealand Files Charges Over White Island Volcano Deadly Eruption - The Wall Street Journal

New Zealand’s workplace safety regulator has filed charges against 13 parties after an investigation into a volcanic eruption that killed 22 people last year.

Dozens more were injured in the eruption, which shot an ash cloud 12,000 feet into the sky and raised questions about the safety of adventure tourism after a series of other mishaps, including another eruption on Japan’s Mount Ontake in 2014 that killed more than 60 hikers who were smothered by smoke and ash.

The agency said its investigation found that 10 organizations had failed to meet their obligations under New Zealand’s health and safety requirements, which carry fines of just over $1 million, while three individuals were charged for failing to ensure that companies were following health and safety standards, which carries a fine of up to $300,000.