/ 21 January 2001

CRATERS SPEW ROCKS, SMOKE IN ALGERIA

VILLAGERS in northeastern Algeria reported rocks and smoke spewing from craters in an area rocked by an earthquake two months ago, the official Algerian news agency APS reported. Local officials said the previously inactive craters erupted for more than four hours late Wednesday in Ras Aichet, near Djellal in the Khenchela region 500km southeast of Algiers. Four people were killed and dozens injured when an earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale hit the region of Beni Ourtilane, 300km east of Algiers, on November 10.