Cape Verde orders evacuation after Fogo volcano erupts

[Buster's Uncle]

Cape Verde orders evacuation after Fogo volcano erupts
Reuters  3 hours ago



PRAIA (Reuters) - A volcano in the Cape Verde archipelago off the coast of West Africa erupted on Sunday morning, the prime minister said, calling for residents to evacuate.

A photograph posted on the local RTC TV station website showed a huge plume of smoke rising into the sky, visible from the capital Praia on a neighbouring island.

"Things could deteriorate in the coming moments, in the coming hours," Jose Maria Neves in a statement on the government website.

"We've called on people to heed the authorities' instructions. People should abandon Cha das Caldeiras," he said referring to a hillside community.

It was not immediately clear if there were injuries or deaths following the eruption. The volcano last erupted in 1995, causing minor damage. A larger eruption occurred in 1951.

The government planned to send a plane providing assistance to residents, Neves added.

The former Portuguese colony is located about 600 km (400 miles) off the coast of Senegal. Fogo's volcanic peak, surrounded by vineyards, is a hiking destination.

(Writing by Emma Farge; Additional reporting by Andrei Khalip in Lisbon; editing by Andrew Roche)


http://news.yahoo.com/volcano-erupts-cabo-verde-island-fogo-pm-170952823.html

[gwillybj]

BBC News - Africa
Cape Verde Residents Evacuated as Pico do Fogo Volcano Erupts
24 November 2014
Last updated at 05:15 ET

[see video at site]

A volcano has erupted in the Cape Verde islands, causing hundreds of residents living in the vicinity to be evacuated and a local airport to be closed.



A large plume of smoke was seen rising over the Pico do Fogo volcano, starting on Sunday.

It is the first time the volcano on the island of Fogo has erupted since 1995.

The Cape Verde government said civil protection workers and military were being sent to Fogo to help. There have been no reports of casualties.

Officials said the signs were that the eruption was bigger than the last one, 19 years ago.

They have warned that the situation is likely to deteriorate.

Some of the displaced families will be housed in accommodation built for those evacuated in 1995.

Other will be offered temporary shelter in "ready-made" homes, the government said.

The area around the volcano is a popular hiking destination for tourists and is also used for agriculture, including wine-making.

The Cape Verde archipelago, which lies off the coast of West Africa, consists of 10 volcanic islands, eight of which are inhabited.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30175986