Ruapehu lets off steam - 8 miles high

Wellington (Agencies) - Molten rocks, glowing ash and flames visible from 100 miles away blasted from New Zealand's snowcapped Mount Ruapehu yesterday.

The mountain came violently to life just after dawn when a large cloud of steam burst from its crater, followed by an explosion of gas and debris.

The plume of steam and ash shot eight miles above the crater, blotting out the sun and dumping tons of ash over nearby towns and farms.

By 10pm. there was by a spectacular display of colour and explosions against the night sky.

"The top of the mountain was glowing with huge bursts of pink, red and yellow light. Molten rocks were thrown from the crater and rolled down the sides of the mountain," Dennis Vater, a resident of Okahune, a town 20 miles south-west of the mountain, told Radio New Zealand. "Bursts of lightning came from within the crater."

But scientists were relatively sanguine about the eruption. They upgraded the alert-status of the volcano to level three, meaning that there was a "significant local eruption in progress". The highest alert is level five.

Officials warned residents in farms and towns surrounding the mountain to remain indoors.

"Don't breathe in the ash. If you're going outside, use a mask, and there's no need to panic," said Taupo District Council's spokesman, Allan Johnston.

Airlines suspended flights to and from the popular North Island tourist resort of Rotorua, where the touring Scottish rugby union side called off a practice session because ash was irritating the players' eyes.