Police say the plan to recover the bodies from Whakaari White Island on Friday morning will take several hours, and still carries a lot of risk.
Shortly after first light on Friday, NZ Defence Force assets with specialised equipment will go on to the island and make every effort to recover the bodies, Deputy Commissioner Mike Clement said.
He told media in Whakatāne on Thursday evening that it was still a risky operation and police had to be very cautious.
"A lot has to go right for this to work."
