Papua New Guinea's volatile Ulawun volcano began spewing ash on Wednesday, prompting authorities to evacuate villages near the area.
The volcano on the remote Bismarck Archipelago chain is listed as one of 16 'Decade Volcanoes' targeted for research.
"The volcanic activity at Mt Ulawun began at 7:00 am this morning (local time) after slight rumbling and light emission," an official with the West New Britain Disaster Office observed.
"The Rabaul Volcano Observatory has declared a stage one alert warning of a possible eruption."
Witnesses reported ash spewing out of the summit, turning the sky dark.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan face renewed Iranian attacks after US hits Iran's south
Lebanese army enters southern town after Israeli withdrawal, in first test of US-brokered deal
Kuwait lodges formal protest with Iran over tanker attack; ministry says power station fires contained
Russian attack kills three in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, officials say
French parliament backs social media ban for children under 15
