The Prime Minister is unsure when police will be able to arrive on Whakaari/White Island to recover victims but says she is checking in with authorities every hour.
"Everyone wants the police to be able to get over to Whakaari/White Island as soon as possible, everyone wants those bodies to come back," Jacinda Ardern told reporters on Wednesday.
"Unfortunately, overnight we've seen tremors and the situation in terms of its volatility has worsened rather than improved... Our hope is that this recovery is able to happen as soon as possible."
The Prime Minister said she "cannot imagine what it's like to be a family member knowing that your family is over there", but she said police need to be sure the operation can be conducted safely.
"The tremor activity has made it more volatile and unstable and that's the status as of today... It's an unpredictable and changing environment."
Ardern said she heard horrific stories on the ground from health professionals about injuries victims have sustained, which she described as "devastating... there are people in very critical situations".
"The hope is to get there as soon as possible and no one can tell me when that will be, but I am asking hourly."
It comes after Mark Law, one of the many selfless Kiwis who rushed to help dozens of people who were severely burned on the island, told The AM Show the conditions are fine to return.
"In actual fact, the last two days have probably been the best conditions to go there," he said Wednesday morning. "The immediate danger is not there - it would be a really easy job."
Police Minister Stuart Nash told reporters police will go onto the island "when it is safe to do so".
He said a "number of scientists" are advising them on when it will be safe to go there, with "expertise on assessing the conditions".
Nash said there are poisonous gases on the island that pose a significant risk to emergency services' health, and police are taking advice on whether the levels are safe enough.
"Let me make this absolutely clear: it is police's absolute priority to get those people off the island, but what we're not going to do is risk the lives of New Zealand's police."
The police response to the disaster hasn't been without hiccups. They were forced to retract a statement on Tuesday night after announcing a criminal investigation would be launched in the deaths.
"At this time, police is investigating the death of the individuals on Whakaari/White Island on behalf of the Coroner... To correct an earlier statement, it is too early to confirm whether there will also be a criminal investigation."
The Prime Minister said she is pleased that's been "clarified" because "at this point, everyone's focus continues to be just on the situation we have and bringing people home and looking after them".
"I don't think that was their intent to convey that."
The Police Minister has also pushed back on comparisons made between authorities' handling of the White Island tragedy and the 2010 Pike River explosion.
"I think that's very unfair," Nash told reporters in Parliament on Tuesday.
As it currently stands, six people are confirmed dead after the volcano suddenly blew on Monday afternoon, sparking a tragedy involving multiple nations.
There are currently 30 people in hospitals across New Zealand - many with severe burns. Three people have been discharged from hospital while eight are missing and presumed dead.
However, on Wednesday afternoon 7 News reported that a member of the missing Australian family-of-four, the Langfords, had been found alive - which is yet to be confirmed.
The latest updates on the Whakaari/White Island eruption aftermath can be found here.
