MANAGUA, July 11 (Reuters) - Nicaragua's San Cristobal volcano rumbled with a series of small explosions on Friday and spewed gases and ash that reached a small town in the northwest of the country, but authorities said no one was hurt.

San Cristobal, which stands 5,725 feet (1,745 meters) above sea level, is Nicaragua's highest volcano and one of eight active volcanoes in the small Central American nation, according to the U.S. Geological Survey Web site.

Nicaragua's geographic institute Ineter said the San Cristobal volcano produced a series of tremors in recent weeks but said it did not pose an immediate risk to communities living in surrounding areas. (Reporting by Ivan Castro; Writing by Cyntia Barrera Diaz; Editing by Vicki Allen)

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