Volcano Erupts in New Zealand
A volcano on New Zealand’s North Island spewed molten rocks into the air Monday and blotted out the sun with an 8-mile-high plume of steam and ash.
The eruption came six days after scientists said that volcanic activity on the 9,176-foot snowcapped Mt. Ruapehu had subsided after months of rumbling. The volcano last erupted in September.
Witnesses said the eruption began Monday morning when the volcano shot steam and ash eight miles above its crater. That was followed by a huge explosion of gas and debris.
“The top of the mountain was glowing with huge bursts of pink, red and yellow light,” Dennis Vater, a nearby resident, told New Zealand radio.
There were no reports of injuries or major damage.
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