Eruption of Papua New Guinea Volcano Subsides Though Thick Ash Is Billowing 3 Miles Into Sky

A cloud of volcanic ash and steam rises as Mount Ulawun erupts on April 30, 2001, seen from 30,000 feet in the air. Klaus Wermuth/AAP Image via AP

CANBERRA, Australia—An eruption of Papua New Guinea’s tallest volcano that raised regional tsunami fears subsided Tuesday, but thick ash still billowed into the sky and coated roofs and palm trees nearby.

One of the South Pacific nation’s most active volcanoes, Mount Ulawun erupted on Monday, spewing ash as high as 15 kilometers (50,000 feet).