The mud volcano emerging off of Trinidad's east coast is belching methane gas and the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) is warning of the danger should it ignite.

The volcano, which has grown 45 feet over the past four months, is now within four feet of breaking the sea surface off Mayaro, according to an update from the IMA.

"The gaseous emissions from the structure may consist largely of methane gas, which is highly flammable. Caution should be taken at the affected site," the IMA stated.

Boats have been warned away from the site.

And yesterday the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management announced it would conduct a town meeting next Monday to "sensitise" people on the "disturbance in the sea".

The meeting will be held at the Mayaro Resource Centre from 9 a.m. to noon.

It will also involve the IMA, Environmental Management Authority, Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio League, the Seismic Research Unit and the Geological Society.

The activity five miles off Pt Radix near Ortoire Village, Mayaro, has been a source of curiosity and concern to coastal villagers.

They said they were afraid of an eruption that could cause huge waves to roll ashore.

Fishermen were also worried about the threat to fishing grounds because of the sediment coming from the undersea mount.

Sports fisherman Graham Scott, who many believe first discovered the volcano, has made several visits to the site. He said: "Hundreds of people a day are coming to see this thing from the high point (on land)."

The IMA said it has analysed water samples taken at the site and the results "suggest no significant threat to aquatic life in the area sampled".

The institute said that the dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons were almost twice the level in the brown plume coming from the volcano but did not represent any significant contamination of the water.

Original Source: Richard Charan, Trinidad & Tobago Express

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