Lord of the Rings park left covered in volcanic ash
August 9th, 2012 - 9:05 pm ICT by Aishwarya BhattMount Tongariro, Aug 9 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Mount Tongariro of New Zealand erupted on Monday night after being quiet for more than a century. The mountain which had been exhibiting seismic activity for a few weeks erupted for almost 30 minutes pouring out volcanic ash for several kilometers.
The mountain which is situated in the Central North Island region did not cause any major injuries or damages as it erupted. The mountain is situated in Tongariro National Park which is a major tourist destination. The park is also famous for its involvement in the movie ‘Lord of the Rings’ as most of the scenes from the movie were shot here. Roads were blocked as a precaution and some residents vacated from their homes but nothing major happened.
Air New Zealand also cancelled some of its flights whose destinations were around or near the park. A witness sa6ys that he witnessed clouds of ash coming from, the north side of the mountain after flashes and explosions. The eruption deposited ash several centimeters thick. Researchers say that the eruption is likely to have been caused by build up of steam pressure in the mountain. The defense ministry said that the eruption is not yet completely dead and people should be careful while walking in the area.
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