Eruption of Papua New Guinea volcano subsides though thick ash is billowing 3 miles into the sky

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The eruption of Papua New Guinea’s tallest volcano is subsiding but thick ash still billowed into the sky and coated roofs and palm trees nearby. Mount Ulawun on the northeastern island of New Britain is one of the South Pacific nation’s most active volcanoes. The eruption Monday afternoon sent ash more than 9 miles into the sky. Papua New Guinea lowered the volcano’s alert level by one level on its four-tier scale. The change means the volcano is having a moderate-to-strong eruption rather than Monday’s very strong eruption. A thick ash plume extended northwest of the volcano Tuesday. It rose at least 3 miles into the sky before becoming lost in atmospheric cloud.