Probes into New Zealand volcano tragedy to take months and carry criminal penalties

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that official inquiries into last week's fatal volcano eruption could take up to a year, and will carry potential criminal penalties of up to five years in jail. Ardern also announced a NZ$5 million ($3.2 million) fund to help small businesses affected by the eruption, after New Zealanders held a minute of silence to honor the victims a week on from the tragedy. The official death toll from the surprise eruption on White Island, also known by its Maori name of Whakaari, stands at 16.

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