Thousands of people have been evacuated from islands near Papua New Guinea in the western Pacific after a volcano on Kadovar Island came to life.
On January 5th, the volcano had its first eruption, and in recent days, activity has increased, according to the RVO observatory.
RVO has told local media that large stones are being thrown from the volcano and that it has a large crack running from the summit all the way down to the coast. Furthermore, the crack has widened in recent days.
More than 3,000 people have been evacuated from the neighbouring islands of Biem and Ruprup amid fears that the volcano on Biem has also become active.
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has simultaneously warned of a possible tsunami in connection with the volcanic eruptions.
– The terrain around the (Kadovar) volcano is very steep, which increases the risk of a large landslide that could trigger a tsunami, he said in a statement.
All air traffic in the area has been cancelled and ships and boats not participating in the evacuation are urged not to remain in the area.
Source: TT-AFP
