Nov. 21, 2004
Yahoo News

BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) - The Galeras volcano in southern Colombia erupted on Sunday, spraying rocks and starting short-lived forest fires, but no injuries were reported, the government said.

The mid-afternoon eruption of the 14,000-foot volcano, near the Ecuador border in the province of Narino, was felt 12 miles away, according to Colombia's Institute of Geology and Mining.

"The Galeras volcano erupted explosively, producing a ballistic expulsion of rocks in an eastward direction reaching about three kilometers (1.8 miles)," a statement issued by the institute said.

The column of material belched out in the eruption rose nine to 6.2 miles into the air, the statement said.

More than 10 villages are near the volcano, which killed at least 10 people when it erupted in 1993.

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