Thousands flee as Mount Karthala erupts

Thousands of people fled the main island of the Comoros archipelago due to a volcano erupting.

A UN offical said that governments issued warnings for people to vacate their homes.

There are no reports of injuries as of yet.

Thevolcano started emitting ash and smoke over GrandComore and at 22:30 GMT lava began flowing out of the 2,361-meterMount Karthala. Grand Comore is the largest island of three Comoros islands.

When the volcano began spewing ash and smoke, officials urged residents to leave eastern partsof Grand Comore. Mobilized trucks and other vehicles were put in operation toevacuate people from the area most affected by volcanicash, Giuseppina Mazza, head of the UN team in theComoros, said yesterday.

Government officials estimate some 10,000 people have beenaffected by the eruption.

A team of experts is flying over the volcano to assess thedangers and the damage caused so far.

Medical teams have been dispatched to aid those who hadbreathing problems because of the ash, she said.

Officials in Comoros have already set up an emergency teamto monitor and coordinate a response to the situation,Mazza said.

They have also put in place an emergency teamto inform people about dangers from Mount Karthala.

The mountain lies at the center of the southern half ofGrande Comore, and the town of Moroni, with a population ofabout 50,000, sits at the foot of the western slope ofMount Karthala.

The volcano last erupted in July 1991.

No one was killedthen, but tens of thousands of villagers left their homes.