MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Montserrat Volcano Ash Grounds Flights

A huge cloud of ash billowing from an island volcano forced the suspension of some international flights over the Caribbean on Sunday, airline and airport officials said.

The airlines took action after a dome atop a volcano on Montserrat, located about 275 miles southwest of Puerto Rico, collapsed over the weekend, sending volcanic debris cascading down the mountain and shooting ashes 10 miles into the sky.

There no injuries reported on the island with a population of about 5,000, although authorities there said residents should remain indoors as ash fell from the sky.

Flights of Venezuelan carrier Aeropostal between Venezuela and Miami were grounded, as well those to and from Aruba, Curacao, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.

"As soon as it's safe to fly, we'll renew the flights," Aeropostal Vice President Juan Carlos Blanco told the press.

A spokesman for the Simon Bolivar International Airport that serves Caracas said American Airlines had also suspended its flights between Miami and Caracas. American Airlines officials there were not immediately available for comment.

On Aruba, all flights were canceled Sunday, including those to Miami, New York, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Toronto.

The dome had been building since August and formed the highest part of the 3,000-foot Soufriere Hills volcano.

The Soufriere Hills volcano sprang to life in 1995. More than half the British Caribbean territory's 12,000 inhabitants moved away. An eruption in 1997 buried much of the south, including the capital, Plymouth, and killed 19 people