Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 08:47:36 MST From: Global Volcanism NetworkSubject: Fogo, Cape Verde Islands, 3 April 1995 THE FOLLOWING IS PRELIMINARY AND BASED ONLY ON A FEW NEWS REPORTS. A FULL REPORT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE MARCH 1995 ISSUE OF THE BULLETIN OF THE GLOBAL VOLCANISM NETWORK. Fogo SW Cape Verde Islands, Atlantic Ocean 14.95 N, 24.35 W; summit elev. 2,829 m News reports stated that an eruption began during the night of 2-3 April. Witnesses told reporters that the volcano was "spewing out smoke and flames." The head of the Cape Verde Red Cross stated that high flames could be seen coming from Cano crater and that "a pall of black smoke was hanging over the island." By noon police officials were reporting that everyone living in the caldera had managed to get out and had been accounted for. A lava flow was also being watched in case other evacuations were needed. The Portuguese news agency Lusa reported that 1,300 people had fled on foot; the island has ~33,000 residents. A team of geologists was expected to reach the crater by mid-afternoon on 3 April. The island of Fogo consists of a single massive volcano with an 8- km-wide caldera breached to the E. The central cone in the caldera was apparently in almost continuous activity from the time of Portuguese settlement in 1500 A.D. until around 1760. Later historical lava flows reached the E coast. The last eruption was during June-August 1951 from vents within the caldera, S and NW of the central cone. Information Contacts: Reuters Information Services; United Press International; Lisbon RTP Internacional Television. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Global Volcanism Network | Phone: 202-357-1511 Museum of Natural History, MRC 129 | Fax: 202-357-2476 Smithsonian Institution | Washington, DC 20560 USA | Internet: mnhms017@SIVM.SI.EDU