Perilous Times
Ash Cloud Spreads as Costa Rica's Arenal volcano erupts
* From correspondents in San Jose
* From: AFP
COSTA Rica's Arenal volcano has erupted, spewing geysers of lava, ash
and toxic gases from its crater and forcing the evacuation of the
national park where it is located.
The 1633-metre-tall cone-shaped mountain in northern Costa Rica
shuddered into activity at 4am this morning issuing eight successive
rivers of lava that flowed down its steep slopes, National Volcanology
and Seismology Observatory expert Elicer Duarte said.
He said nobody was at risk from the eruptions but authorities as a
precaution evacuated the Arenal National Park, 80km north-east of San
Jose.
The Arenal Volcano is one of Costa Rica's major tourist attractions and
the park has scores of hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and shopping
centres.
No estimates were given of how many people were inside the park when
the eruption began.
Arenal's last major eruption in July 1968 killed 89 people. Smaller
eruptions have occurred at least six times over the past 35 years.