New Zealand police said it would be "crazy" for rescue forces to access the island where the volcano erupted on December 9.

White Island volcano, New Zealand's famous tourist spot, unexpectedly erupted two days ago, spreading ashes about 3.6 km high. The incident left at least 6 people dead and authorities believe that 8 people missing on the island had little chance of survival.

"It would be crazy that we take people to White Island now, in an unsafe situation for them," New Zealand Police Commander Stuart Nash told the media today. Nash said he understood the grief of the relatives of the missing person, but authorities "had no choice but to wait".

Nash quoted seismologists predicting a 50% chance of another volcanic eruption on White Island. He also warned of toxic gases that could be caused by volcanic eruptions, accompanied by a thick layer of ash covering the island.

Reconnaissance flights after the disaster found no sign of survivors on the island. Police also want to deploy unmanned aircraft to measure toxic gas concentrations on the island, but wind conditions have yet to allow.

New Zealand today said a total of 47 people on White Island at the time of the volcano eruption, including a group of more than 30 tourists of the Ovation of the Seas, departing from the port of Sydney, Australia last week. 26 people are being treated at the hospital.

Affected victims are travelers from Australia, the United States, Britain, China, Malaysia and New Zealand guides. Some people survived the disaster but suffered severe burns.