Webcam live feed showed tourists inside New Zealand volcano right before it erupted and killed at least 5

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A webcam still showing an aerial view of hikers walking on the crater rim of Whakaari, also known as White Island, shortly before the volcano erupted on December 9.GNS Science

A photograph from a webcam operated by the New Zealand geological hazards agency GeoNet shows a group of people inside the crater of the White Island volcano moments before it erupted.

At a press conference around 6 p.m. local time, New Zealand Police confirmed that at least five people have died as a result of the eruption, while others were being treated in nearby hospitals for burns.

It is not clear whether the group of people inside the crater are among those killed or injured.

The still shows a pathway leading to the rim of the crater. A group of people can be seen walking along the path.

White smoke can also be seen rising from the rim of the crater.

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The unedited photo showing a group of people walking along a path leading up to the rim of the crater, moments before the volcano erupted.GNS Science

The time stamp on the still reads 02:10 p.m. – just one minute before the volcano erupted, according to timings given by GeoNet.

According to a Reuters report, images captured at 2:20 p.m. showed the crater floor black and a plume of black and grey smoke rising from the rim of the crater.

The camera captures images of Whakaari every ten minutes live on its website.

GeoNet has now suspended the broadcast of the webcam and removed the footage and the images from its website while rescue operations are underway.