Date:         Mon, 3 Apr 1995 08:47:36 MST
From: Global Volcanism Network 
Subject:      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.
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