Date:04/06/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/06/04/stories/2005060401481300.htm

National

More smoke rising from Barren Island volcano

PORT BLAIR: The Barren Island volcano is emitting a greater quantity of smoke after heavy rain led to decrease in the flames.

Lava is still flowing out of the crater, Coast Guard sources said on Friday.

The Andaman and Nicobar Lt. Governor, Ram Kapse, who made an aerial survey of the uninhabited Island, 140 km north-west of here, on Friday morning said he had seen smoke and lava rising from the crater.

The administration and the Coast Guard were monitoring the situation, he said.

The Coast Guard PRO Commandant, Sanjay Anchalwar, said that due to heavy rain the flames had subsided but the volume of smoke had increased and lava was still flowing out.

The last eruption of the volcano took place in 1994 on the island, which is less than two km wide.

It is uninhabited except for some feral goats, which live on the other side where there are vegetation and natural sources of water.

However, there were no reports about these goats as of now.

The island is out of bounds to the public with only defence personnel allowed access.

PTI