Galápagos islands volcano erupts spewing lava and clouds of ash

Wolf Volcano, the tallest mountain in the Pacific archipelago, began erupting shortly before midnight on Wednesday

The tallest mountain in the Galapagos islands has erupted, spewing lava down its flanks and clouds of ash over the Pacific Ocean, according to Ecuador's Geophysical Institute.

A cloud of gas and ash from Wolf Volcano rose to 3793 meters (12,444 feet) above sea level following the eruption that began shortly before midnight on Wednesday local time, the institute said.