THE owners of an island volcano in New Zealand where 22 tourists and local guides died in an eruption had their criminal conviction for failing to keep visitors safe thrown out by a judge yesterday.

The ruling absolves the company from paying millions of dollars in restitutions to the families of those bereaved in the 2019 explosion on Whakaari and two dozen seriously injured survivors. 

Most of the 47 people on the island were US and Australian cruise ship passengers on a walking tour, along with their local guides.