Ten New South Wales residents who were injured in the White Island volcano disaster are being flown to Sydney to receive critical care.

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the patients will be treated in NSW Health’s world-leading adult burns units, with three arriving overnight at Concord Hospital and one at Royal North Shore Hospital.

NSW Health is working with Commonwealth agencies to facilitate the safe return of residents, some of whom have life threatening burn injuries.

“Together with our Federal counterparts, we have offered assistance to the New Zealand Government to help coordinate the aeromedical retrievals, which commenced overnight,” Dr Chant said.

All the victims are adults and are being assessed based on clinical priority after the Australian Overseas Mass Casualty Response Plan was activated to address the tragic outcome of this event.

“At this terribly sad time when we have lost fellow Australians, I commend the co- operation of both New Zealand and local health authorities to orchestrate the safe return of these patients who will receive the best care available.”

The NSW Health Aeromedical Retrieval team expects various aircraft from both New Zealand and Australia to undertake the medivac operation based on the advice of the NZ Intensive Care Unit and Burns Network.

NSW Health asks that the privacy of these patients be respected.

Please note: NSW Health’s Media Unit will provide a morning and evening patient condition update to all media.

No further personal patient information will be provided.