Three young children left without their parents after both their mother and father died in a volcanic eruption while on vacation will be among those to receive a portion of a $9 million dollar settlement awarded by a judge today in New Zealand, reports 9News in Australia.
Paul Singh of Atlanta, Georgia died of his injuries on January 28, 2021 following severe burns suffered during an eruption of the White Island Volcano. His wife Mary had died earlier on December 22 also of severe burns, reported People.
The Singhs are survived by an 11-year-old son and six-year-old twin daughters.
The couple was among the 22 people who died and many more injured while on a tour of the volcano with White Island Tours and three other companies. The judge ruled the businesses failed to meet regulations under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Among those injured in the blast was Annie Yongan Lu of Sydney.
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“Nothing was really explained to us going on to the bus or the boat [about] the possibility of an explosion,” she said during a taped interview with police that was played in court, reported the Guardian. “We unfortunately misplaced our trust.”
All four companies pled guilty which led to a reduction in their fines.
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