Friday, February 23, 2001, updated at 20:31(GMT+8)
World
Mexican Volcano Erupts, Scatters Ash
Colima state's Volcano of Fire erupted with bursts of hot rock and ash on Thursday, but officials said there was no immediate threat to nearby towns.
Colima state civil defense officials said the nearly 13,000-foot(nearly 4,000-meter) volcano scattered ash on several villages and towns after the burst of hot rock at 5£º32 a.m. (0630 EST), but they did not believe that an evacuation was necessary.
While the volcano 300 miles west of Mexico City is considered relatively dangerous, scientists said they were not alarmed by Thursday's event.
A series of eruptions there in 1999 caused officials to evacuate hundreds of people. By coincidence, Colima Gov. Fernando Moreno announced Thursday that the state had obtained land to relocate 60 families in Yerbabuena, the village closest to the volcano.