Karthala volcano erupts on Africa's Comoros islands

MORONI (AFP) Aug 30, 2003
The Karthala volcano on the Indian Ocean Comoros archipelago erupted Saturday, sending a stream of lava towards a nearby village where troops were heading to evacuate residents, witnesses said.

It was not known if there had been any casualties in the eruption.

The volcano, on the archipelago's largest island of Grande Comore, last saw a magma eruption in 1977, whan lava destroyed the village of Singani but without causing any deaths.

Local authorities had met this week to review security procedures in the event of an eruption, after vulcanologists registered intense seismic activity that suggested an imminent blast.

TERRA.WIRE