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Officials
in the archipelagic islands of Comoros, located off the
northeastern coast of Madagascar, issued a volcano warning
during the weekend that Khartala Volcano could erupt within
the next several weeks.
The
7,874-foot-high Khartala last erupted in 1991, but at least
55 tremors have been recorded near the mountain since last
Monday, triggering widespread alarm in nearby communities.
Soule Hamidou, a technician in charge of the Khartala Observatory,
said, "We cannot rule out the possibility of an eruption."
The
islands that make up the archipelago, Ngazidja, Mwali, Nzwani,
and Mayotte, originally rose from the seabed of the western
Indian Ocean as the result of volcanic activity.
Lava
from an explosion in 1977 destroyed the entire town of Singani,
15 miles south of the capital city, Moroni.
Volcano
Erupts in Hokkaido
Japan's
Komagatake Volcano exploded before dawn on Saturday, blanketing
the city of Shikabe with volcanic ash and sending a plume
of smoke 4,000 feet into the night sky.
The
volcano, located on Japan's northernmost main island of
Hokkaido, also erupted on September 4 and 28.
Officials
at the Sapporo District Meteorological Observatory reported
that five volcanic tremors were recorded near the 4,301-foot-high
mountain preceding the eruption. The agency expressed concern
that the recent series of eruptions could lead to a larger
explosion.
Five
communities at the base of the volcano set up emergency
shelters, and residents were warned to stay on alert.
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