Tanzania: Only active volcano erupts

(SomaliNet) A Kenyan official said Friday that Tanzania\'s only active volcano, Oldonyo Lengai, has erupted, spewing smoke and ash into the country\'s northern skies and causing a brief panic among residents.

The 3 200-meter-high volcano, whose name means \"Mountain of God\" in Swahili, started oozing lava.

\"Mount Oldonyo Lengai ... the source of the tremors we have been experiencing, is currently spewing smoke and some lava,\" Kenyan government spokesman Alfred Mutua said in a statement.

\"However, the eruption is a very mild one. Scientists believe this has reduced the pressure that was there, hence the decrease of the tremors.\"

A series of tremors, originating in nearby Lake Natron, have rocked much of northeastern Tanzania over the past week and were felt in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, which lies about 250 kilometres away.

Oldonyo Lengai, which stands about 160 kilometres west of the Kilimanjaro, erupted in 1966 and 1988. In 1983 and 2006, it spewed smoke forcing thousands of residents to flee. - Sapa-AFP