(New Zealand Defense Force via AP) (Associated Press)WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Vanuatu officials on Thursday ordered the complete evacuation of an island in the Pacific archipelago where a rumbling, belching volcano is threatening to blow. Boats were soon to begin ferrying residents off Ambae island, which is home to about 11,000 people, in a process expected to take about a week. Ambae island has long been volcanically active. Dickinson Tevi, a spokesman for the Vanuatu Red Cross Society, said the relief agency has been shipping water and shelter equipment to Ambae island. “We’ve prepared for cyclones by putting evacuation centers on the island but we are not ready for a volcanic eruption,” Bule said.

Source: Washington Post September 28, 2017 04:22 UTC