A massive volcano eruption triggered by an earthquake has ripped apart a tiny island in the Red Sea.
Terrified witnesses reported lava spewing hundreds of yards into the air with plumes of volcanic ash also rising from the site.
Officials said today that part of Jazirt Mount al-Tair, which is about 80 miles from Yemen, had collapsed after the eruption at around 5.30pm on Sunday.
A huge rescue operation was still underway for survivors with at least four soldiers reported dead and another five still missing.
Squadroons of troops, who are based on the Red Sea island, had to be evacuated to the port city of Hodeida in the immediate aftermath.
One said: "Four of our comrades have died, burned by the lava.
Another added: "They were killed immediately after the eruption of the volcano at 5:30 pm on Sunday."
The Canadian frigate HMCS Toronto had been sailing towards the Suez Canal and was called in to help. On Sunday evening, Canadian Navy spokesman Ken Allen told reporters in an e-mail that the entire island was "aglow with lava and magma as it pours down into the sea.
"The lava is spewing hundreds of feet into the air, with the volcanic ash also 1,000 feet in the air."
The Yemeni defence ministry said that there had been considerable seismic activity around the island ahead of the eruption, adding that an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale had been recorded on Friday.
The volcano last erupted in the 19th century.
Search and rescue teams, alongside the Canadian navy, were still hunting for survivors today.
Original Source