PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — A volcanic eruption on an island off the north coast of Papua New Guinea on Tuesday sent lava gushing into valleys and forced officials to move scores of families to safer ground.
The afternoon eruption spewed ash up to 20,000 feet into the air, blanketing Manam Island, said Leith Anderson, director general of National Disaster and Emergency Services.
Hundreds of villagers were relocated from the northern part of the island to the southern side, and emergency crews in Papua New Guinea were on standby to evacuate the island’s 7,000 villagers if necessary, he said.
There were unconfirmed reports that two people had died, Anderson said.
