Thousands of villagers are being evacuated from their homes in the South Pacific islands of Vanuatu today amid fears of an imminent volcanic explosion.

Mount Manaro on the island of Ambae has been spewing out ash and steam for more than a week and the authorities are preparing to declare a state of emergency if the situation worsens.

The volcano is regarded as one of the most dangerous in the world because it has a lake inside its crater.

An eruption could cause a major explosion if the water becomes superheated, while the lake wall could also burst, swamping villages that surround the mountain.