Volcano erupts on New Zealand's North Island

WELLINGTON (AFP) - New Zealand's Mount Tongariro volcano erupted on Wednesday, sending a column of ash high into the atmosphere, scientists said.

The official GNS Science monitoring service issued a potential threat alert after the 1:25pm local time (8.25am Singapore) eruption at the North Island volcano, which became active in August this year after lying dormant for more than a century.

First images from the scene showed a massive plume of ash bellowing into the air.

Television New Zealand reported that New Zealand Civil Defence personel were working to ensure anyone on or around the mountain is safe.