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PORT VILA, Vanuatu – One of the most dangerously active volcanoes in the world, the Manaro Voui Volcano located in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu erupted on Friday, spewing thick dark ash and smoke into the sky.

The U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released satellite footage of the ash cloud and said that  the eruption of Manaro came as part of its new cycle of eruptions that began in September last year. 

Following last year’s eruption, in March this year, recurring eruptions at the Manaro Volcano forced large scale evacuations. 

The eruptions were so violent that the nation’s government urged about 10,000 residents that call the Ambae Island home, to consider relocating somewhere else permanently.

The government of the impoverished country has also been aiding residents to permanently relocate.

Officials have said that hundreds of people have already moved to neighboring islands of Maewo, Pentecost and Espiritu Santo. 

The volcano set off a 12 kilometer column of smoke into the air earlier this week.

Then, on Friday, in what came as the third large-scale evacuation order issued since September last year, the government of the Pacific country launched a compulsory evacuation effort on the Ambae island.

The government of Vanuatu, which boasts around 65 inhabited islands, has ordered 11,000 people to evacuate the island. 

Further, on Friday, after the Manaro volcano spewed thick clouds of smoke which blocked off the sun and coated the South Pacific island with ash, Vanuatu’s government imposed a state of emergency.

According to the Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department of Vanuatu, Manaro is now a “danger to direct safety to life.” 

Further, Meteorologist Ari Sarsalari has also warned residents to stay at least three kilometers (1.9 miles) away from the vent.

According to experts, “The local population from Ambae and from neighboring islands will continue to hear rumbling, volcanic explosions (and) smell volcanic gases.”

On Friday, Vanuatu’s Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu confirmed on Twitter, “On the eve of the 38th anniversary of independence, cabinet has reimposed the state of emergency and ordered the compulsory evacuation of the entire population of Ambae.”

Meanwhile, on Saturday, authorities raised the volcanic alert level to 3, indicating a minor eruption and Vanuatu’s Red Cross, which has been providing humanitarian assistance in the region, said that several villages have become uninhabitable.

Vanuatu Red Cross Disaster Management Coordinator Augustin Garae said in a statement, “We tried to travel to the south today but we have to turn back, because trees are falling, visibility is very very poor, we cannot see far more than two metres. Mass evacuation happening now in the south of Ambae, as the situation is worsening.”

Garae added that communications infrastructure was failing and added, “Two evacuation centre’s are now hosting 95 households with a total of 372 population. Yesterday 107 people in the south have fled their homes to Santo (Island) on MV Princes Mary.”