Mount Ruapehu in New Zealand erupts for the second time in nine months Monday, creating an 8-mile-high plume of steam, ash and debris that blotted out the sun and dumped tons of ash. The eruption on the 9,176-foot snowcapped mountain came six days after scientists said that volcanic activity had subsided after months of rumblings. There were no reports of injuries or major damage. In some areas, skiers were evacuated as a precaution against hot mudslides.
