Mount Manaro began spewing ash and smoke on November 27 and seismologists have reported a steady increase of volcanic activity since then, with some 2,000 tonnes of ash landing on surrounding areas per day.

Lake Vui lies in the crater of Manaro, making the volcano the most dangerous in the Pacific island country.

"If the chamber breaks and water reaches magma, there will be a terrific explosion, the like of which has not been seen in the country before," volcanologist Douglas Charlie told The Vanuatu Daily Post.

Prime Minister Ham Lini declared a state of emergency on Ambae after flying over the island at the weekend and ordered the deployment of two ships to evacuate residents if the eruption worsens, it said.

Local authorities have meanwhile hired private vehicles to move about 5,000 people from villages near the volcano in the center of the island to coastal areas.

Officials from the nearby islands of Pentecost and Maewo have also been urged to resettle Ambaens if the island is threatened by a major eruption, the newspaper said.

The National Disaster Management Office in Vanuatu said three volcanologists from New Zealand and two from France were helping local experts monitor the volcano, Radio New Zealand International reported.

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