Video: Mount Tongariro erupts in New Zealand causing flight cancellations
AP
A New Zealand volcano used as a backdrop for many scenes in the Lord of the Rings movies has erupted. Scrolll down to see the video
The eruption of Mount Tongariro, its second in less than four months - when it erupted in August for the first time in 115 years - sent a dark ash plume about three kilometres into the sky.
According to scmp.com, authorities issued a no-fly alert near the North Island mountain, and national carrier Air New Zealand advised travellers that some of its flights could be delayed or cancelled.
According to the NZ Herald, Adrift NZ, which runs tours of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, had about 50 people on the mountain.
Operator Stewart Barclay headed to Mt Tongariro to help his guides and their groups off the mountain.
He said: "There was a minor amount of panic and everyone is safe now, there were no injuries."
Staff and students from Tamatea Intermediate in Hawkes Bay are safe and well after being on the Tongariro Track at the base of the volcano during the eruption.
About 100 staff and students were about two hours into the track when the eruption occurred.
Department of Conservation (DOC) community relations manager Kim Alexander-Turia said: "The difference between this eruption and the last eruption is there's no volcanic rocks coming out, so we're just letting people quickly and safely come off in their own time, calmly.
"We're just trying to get them off the mountain as soon as possible."
GNS Science duty volcanologist Nico Fournier told APNZ there was one eruption, "essentially one explosion, and it was not sustained".
Dr Fournier said the eruption was not very loud and was smaller than the eruption in August.
Tongariro National Park has three active volcanoes and, is a popular tourist destination.
Just this week, GNS Science increased the likelihood of Tongariro's neighbouring volcano Mount Ruapehu erupting, following increased activity on the mountain as pressure builds in a subterranean vent.
Hikers have been warned to avoid the summit of Mount Ruapehu, with the Department of Conservationsaying temperature readings indicate there could be a "significant eruption" from New Zealand's largest volcano.
According to the Independent Online, DOC volcanic risk manager Harry Keys told Radio New Zealand: "The current situation can't continue, Ruapehu is so active that the temperatures have been going up and down a lot.
"They generally haven't gone up as we've expected for some weeks now and sooner or later that situation will be rectified, either in a small, relatively passive way, or with a significant eruption."
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