Villagers on the Vanuatu island of Ambae were facing their second evacuation in seven months Friday after a volcano rumbled back to life and rained ash on their homes. Authorities in the Pacific nation have declared a state of emergency on the northern island, where 11,000 people were forced to leave last September. Many have only just returned home but the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department said the Manaro Voui volcano was undergoing a level three eruption, the mid-point in a five-level scale. “Last year’s evacuation was conducted in haste, amidst fears of a major eruption,” he told the Daily Post newspaper. It sits on the so-called “Pacific Rim of Fire” making it vulnerable to strong earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, while powerful cyclones also regularly lash the islands.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 13, 2018 07:41 UTC