After being dormant for more than a century New Zealand's Mount Tongariro volcano erupted late on Monday night, sending up ash clouds that disrupted flights and forced closure of roads.
The 1,978-meter-high Tongariro, one of the three in the country's North Island, became active just before midnight local time and erupted with explosions, spewing rocks and steam. No casualties or damage have been reported after the eruption.
The Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management said on Tuesday that the threat from the volcano had passed, after it erupted last night. But, it was too early to predict the next series of events, while scientists expected heightened activity for several weeks.
Mount Tongariro last erupted 115 years ago, and geologists said they did not yet know if the current eruption was a single event or if it signaled the start of more activity.
The eruption was reported to police just before midnight by a member of the public who reported seeing explosions on the northern face of the mountain. The witness told police the eruption had created "a new hole in the side of the mountain."
The plume from last night's eruption was steam-driven, coming from the hydrothermal system rather than from new molten lava rising to the surface, New Zealand media reported quoting scientists.
A number of domestic flights on the North Island were disrupted because of the eruption. Highways that had been closed due to poor visibility after the eruption are now open.
Even though local authorities ordered no evacuation, some residents left their homes temporarily, the reports said.
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