A 2.5-mile-high column of ash and gas spewing from the San Cristobal volcano in Nicaragua on Saturday forced 3,000 people in surrounding areas to flee. Soldiers were sent to help the evacuations proceed smoothly. The country has been on alert since an earthquake hit nearby Costa Rica, and the geological institute says there is a lot of activity in the volcano. “We do not rule out anything, but call for calm,” said director Javier Mejia.
