An eruption has occurred at the East Epi underwater volcano in Vanuatu, sending ash into the sky and prompting authorities to warn ships and aircraft to avoid the area.

“We are asking local residents to watch out for strong explosions as the eruptions are still ongoing,” Ricardo William, a senior volcano specialist at the Department of Meteorology and Geo-Hazards, told AFP.

The department has published images of the volcanic eruption on the social network Facebook, as well as a map indicating a 10-kilometre danger zone around the volcano.