Hundreds of villagers fled the slopes of a volcano in the Indian Ocean Comoros islands today as fumes belched from the crater and black rain pounded houses, sparking fears of an eruption, witnesses said.
"Villagers are in total darkness, gritty rain is falling and visibility is zero," a resident from the village of Idjinkoundzi on the western flank of Mount Karthala, who gave his name as Charif said.
The 2,361-metre (7,746-ft) Mount Karthala and its forested slopes form most of the land mass of Grande Comore, the main island in the Comoros chain which lies 300 km (190 miles) off east Africa, and which has witnessed periodic eruptions.
Frightened families from the villages of Trelezini and Tsorale piled into taxis and buses and headed for the capital Moroni, which lies on the west coast of Grande Comore, about 15 km (9 miles) from Karthala's giant crater.
"Dust is still falling, with torrential rains and high winds sweeping across the region," said Ibrahim Youssouf, a resident in the town of Fomboni on the southeastern coast of Grande Comore who visited the scene.
Defence Minister Houmed Msaidie warned residents to avoid the area to avoid the risk of exposure to dangerous gases.
"The volcano has started to erupt and two regions are exposed for the moment, Dimani and Badjini," Msaidie told reporters. "We cannot rule out the risk that gases could escape and it would be wise to not approach the zones at risk."
Dry river beds turned to raging torrents as rainwater coursed down the volcano's slopes, according to residents.
"The ground has started trembling and we have seen cracks appearing," said one official near the flanks of the volcano, which are frequently draped in white cloud.