Costa Rican volcano erupts after long silence
Pastor Dale Morgan
Costa Rican volcano erupts after long silence*
Reuters
Tuesday, January 5, 2010; 10:12 PM
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) - Costa Rica's Turrialba volcano, last
active in the 19th century, erupted on Tuesday, spewing ash and steam
and prompting authorities to evacuate a number of people from its slopes.
The 11,000-foot (3,340-meter) volcano is situated east of the capital
San Jose in the remote, lushly forested central highlands of the Central
American country.
It had shown increased activity since the weekend, Vanessa Rosales,
president of Costa Rica's disaster response commission, told Reuters.
Rosales said, while adding that ash from the volcano could reach San
Jose if activity were to became more severe.
Authorities evacuated numerous people from its slopes. Thirty more
people near Turrialba will be evacuated on Wednesday, Rosales said.
The volcano is not near any major coffee production areas.
Turrialba has been dormant since a 22-year active period that began in
1864, according to Juan Segura, the director of the Costa Rican
Volcanology and Seismology Observatory.
Ash from Turrialba's last major eruption in February 1866 fell hundreds
of miles (kilometers) away in Nicaragua, according to the observatory.
(Reporting by Leslie Josephs; Editing by Will Dunham)