We're pausing our live coverage of the White Island volcano eruption for the moment. Thank you for staying with us.

Here's a quick recap of what we've learnt over the last few hours:

• One person has died in Auckland's Middlemore hospital, bringing the total number of dead from the tragedy to six. Eight people are still missing but police believe there is little hope any are still alive
• The missing include members of three Australian families and a tour guide called back to work on his day off
• The cruise ship Ovation of the Seas is to head back to Australia on Wednesday, owners Royal Caribbean say. Several of the ship's passengers were among those caught on the island by the eruption
• A former Royal Navy pilot has described flying some of the severely burned victims to hospital

For more details, keep scrolling down.

See the latest photographs of the volcano, and the aftermath of the eruption here.

Image source, AFP

Norma Lane, St John Ambulance New Zealand's operations director, said they sent 11 helicopters to help rescue the injured and take them to hospital.

"We've never seen anything like this before," she said. "The scale of the burns and the trauma... We had paramedics go by boat with coastguards to meet some of those boats as they were coming into shore and climbing into those boats to treat critically injured patients while they were travelling back to land."

Eyewitness Geoff Hopkins went to the island to help rescue those caught up in the eruption. He told BBC Breakfast there was no tremor or shaking, only a huge plume of steam and ash.

Image source, Jake Milbank/Facebook

Tour guide Jake Milbank was working on the island when the volcano erupted. It was also his birthday, the New Zealand Herald reports, external.

He is now in hospital with 80% burns to his body and his family by his side, the paper adds.

In September his high school posted on Facebook about a trip to the island and paid tribute to its ex-student, described as an "awesome tour guide".

The New Zealand Red Cross's Family Links website , externalhas a list of 100 people who were registered as missing following the White Island eruption. Thirty-one have since confirmed themselves as safe. However, we know that only 47 people were on the island at the time, so many of them have not been caught up in the disaster.

The Red Cross stresses that the list is user-generated and not official. It encourages family members to update details when they get relevant information.

Matthew Evans, 38, who is originally from Carmarthen in Wales, is one of the Britons listed as missing.

However, his brother Ian told the Press Association that he had been found safe and well.

"He was travelling with his new wife, he was trekking at the time and we were concerned because we hadn't heard from him for 24 hours," he said.

"But they are safe. They were in the North Island, away from the Bay of Plenty.

"They said they had no idea what had gone on."

Image source, EPA

Ovation of the Seas owner Royal Caribbean says the cruise ship will return to Sydney via Wellington on Wednesday. Most of those caught on the island when the volcano erupted were its passengers.

"Following yesterday’s events, the ship stayed in Tauranga to allow our personnel to assist local authorities and support those affected by this unforeseen natural disaster.

"The ship is now scheduled to set sail at 6:45am tomorrow (17:45 GMT Tuesday) visiting Wellington and Picton before returning to Sydney. The revised itinerary has been provided to guests.

"A team will remain onsite in Tauranga and all hospital locations to ensure those affected by Monday’s incident are taken care of in terms of medical help, counselling, accommodation, and transport.

"Our priority continues to be to ensure that all guests and crew impacted are well taken care of and we assist the local authorities in any way we can. We thank our guests onboard for their patience and understanding during this tragic situation.

"Our thoughts and prayers remain with those impacted."

This just in from New Zealand Police:

Police can confirm a further person has died following the eruption on Whakaari / White Island, bringing the official toll to six.

The person was earlier being treated at Middlemore Hospital.

Tourist Geoff Hopkins - who left the island shortly before the volcano erupted - was on board a boat which returned to rescue survivors.

"We were probably only 200 metres off the shoreline," he said. "The ash cloud then started to envelop the entire island.

" We immediately headed back to where we'd left, which was where the other boat was still anchored.

"We didn't know what we were dealing with until the first ones started coming on and as they came on they were horrific burns."

Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday delivered a moving speech in parliament, saying to families of the victims that they were "forever linked to our nation... and we will hold you close".

On social media, many praised the "compassion" she showed.

Authorities are still working to establish identities - but these are some we know are missing:

• 23-year-old local tour guide Tipene Maangi. He was supposed to be on his day off but got called back to work an extra shift
• A family of four from Sydney - Anthony and Kristine Langford, and their children Jesse,19, and Winona, 17

• Australian Gavin Dallow and his 15-year-old daughter Zoe Hosking. His wife Lisa Hosking has been found in a New Zealand hospital, but the father and daughter still remain missing
• Australian mother and daughter Julie and Jessica Richards have been listed as missing by local media. The pair had been on board cruise ship the Ovation of the Seas

A helicopter rescue pilot who flew some of the injured to hospital has described their condition.

James Tayler - a former pilot in the Royal Navy - told Television New Zealand: "They were pretty poorly... covered in ash, looking quite badly burned."

Mr Tayler works with the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter emergency service.

This 3-D map from New Zealand site Newshub shows the route the White Island tourists took:

Every year, thousands of people around the world try to get close to volcano sites for the chance to see, hear and feel the heat of it.

But how much danger do they face by doing so? Find out here in this BBC piece from 2018.

Aline Moura was on a boat leaving the island - when it turned back to try to help survivors.

"Some people were feeling too cold," she says. "I think it’s one reaction when someone gets burned."

Helicopter pilot Tom Storey tells New Zealand television he flew to the island after it erupted to try to help. When he arrived, it was like "running through talcum powder", he says.

A woman from the Australian city of Adelaide has been found alive in New Zealand, say local media reports., external

Lisa Dallow, who was on a two-week cruise with her husband and her daughter when the volcano erupted, has been found at Hamilton hospital - but is suffering from severe burns.

Her 15-year-old daughter and husband remain missing.

Tributes have been left near the "Ovation of the Seas" ship in Tauranga, near White Island.

It's thought many of the estimated 13 victims were passengers on the cruiser, which is owned by Royal Caribbean.

Image source, EPA

Ministry of Health spokesman Pete Watson said earlier on Tuesday that 27 people suffered burns to more than 30% of their body.

Others suffered inhalation burns.

Mr Watson said all patients were receiving care at the highest level but that it was possible that "not all" of them would survive.

He added that the burns unit at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland had received "a year's worth of work in one day".

Image source, Getty Images

Two Indonesian doctors who were on a fishing trip near the island raced to help victims when the volcano erupted on Monday.

They had blankets and a medical kit onboard the chartered boat, equipped with medicine, bandages and slings.

"The people who were being treated first hand had severe injuries, it was horrific," the owner of the boat told news outlet Stuff. , external

The doctors and their skipper did "everything they could to help" until formal rescue teams arrived.