Most of the 9,600 inhabitants of Manam Island had already been evacuated to the mainland as a result of ongoing volcanic activity that began in October 2004. Papua New Guinea: Manam Volcano Eruption; Information Bulletin no. Ash levels as much as 50 centimetres deep had settled on some areas at the time the evacuation began, and the weight of the Heavy ashfall is falling on the island, blocking out sunlight. January 25, 2019 Communication to the island was cut when the only Digicel tower was toppled by volcanic activity, the Manam Resettlement Authority reported last night. The community experienced a sudden eruption of Manam back in August 2018, where lava forced the evacuation of 2,000 people from Manam Island, according to NASA. The volcano entered an eruptive phase … A volcanic eruption of Mount Ontake (御嶽山, Ontake-san) took place on September 27, 2014, killing 63 people. 03 2 Volcanic ash has caused extensive damage to food crops, and in the worst affected areas, crops have been completely destroyed. The volcano’s current ongoing eruptive phase technically began back on June 29, 2014 and it has already registered as a 4 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). The current eruption began on October 24 with an explosive eruption that forced thousands of villages on Manam Island out of their homes. Most of the island's 9,000 inhabitants were evacuated back in 2004 following a major eruption. The coordinator of the Manam evacuation exercise confirmed the deaths, adding that the deaths were linked to respiratory complications resulting from inhaling volcanic ashes and dust. It has one of the longest records of historic eruptions in the SE Pacific region. The Tungurahua volcano throws ash and stones during an eruption seen from Banos, Ecuador, on August 31, 2014. Volcanic ash rose up to 13.7 km (45 000 feet) above sea level, according to the Darwin VAAC, forcing authorities to raise the Aviation Color Code to Red. An eruption of the Manam volcano sent ash into the air for nearby communities in Papua New Guinea on Wednesday, Jan. 23. Manam’s eruptive history is peppered with VEI 2s and 3s, but it also has two previous confirmed VEI 4s, from 2004 and 1919 — see volcano.si.edu for more. More than 2000 Manam Islanders are at risk after their volcanic island roared to life in the past 24 hours. The larger eruptions of Manam produce pyroclastic flows and sometimes lava flows. According to news reports, the ongoing eruption has not caused any injuries. THE volcanic eruption on Manam Island in the Madang province has so far claimed five lives – two elderly women and three children between the ages of 5-13. This began a more disruptive period for the Manam volcano. A powerful eruption started at Manam volcano, Papua New Guinea around 03:00 UTC on December 8, 2018. In this true-color image, dark ash rises from the volcano and is drifting southwest over Papua New Guinea. Manam volcano located 13 km off the northern coast of New Guinea near Bogia town is one of Papua New Guinea's most active volcanoes.