On Monday, at 2:11 p.m. local time, an explosive eruption rocked White Island, a small volcanic isle in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty. A series of violent blasts rang out, flinging ash 12,000 feet into the sky and showering the volcano’s floor with hot debris, before everything fell silent a handful of minutes later.

It quickly became apparent that lives were lost. A number of tourists were on the island at the time, several of whom were right next to the volcano’s active vent. At the time of writing, five deaths have been officially recorded, with several more people still unaccounted for. Recent reconnaissance flights over the island, also known by its Māori name Whakaari, have found no signs