Overview

• The formal opening in Whakatāne featured statements from survivors and bereaved families, with no evidence heard on day one.
• Proceedings shift to Auckland on October 6 after family submissions, where the coroner will begin hearing evidence.
• Survivor and family statements described lifelong injuries, profound grief and intrusive media attention in the years since the disaster.
• Phase one is scheduled for six to eight weeks and will reconstruct events on December 9, 2019, review the emergency response and document when and where each person died.
• The eruption killed 22 and injured 25, two bodies were never recovered, and tour landings on the island have remained suspended.