Volcano all-clear in PNG

A volcano which erupted on the Papua New Guinea island of New Britain causing panicked residents to flee homes has returned to near-normal activity and the danger of fresh eruptions has passed, say vulcanologists.

Mount Tavurvur on the outskirts of the former provincial capital, Rabaul, erupted on Saturday with a blast that shattered windows up to 12km from the volcano. Around 2000 people fled as ash rained from an 18km plume and lava poured into the sea.