Guatemalan authorities have begun evacuating nearly 300 families, warning that another 30,000 people in the nearby area could be at risk from an eruption of Volcan Fuego, known as the fire volcano.
The eruption began overnight. There have been no reports of casualties. The volcano, which stands at 12,300 feet (3,763 meters), is one of the most active in Central America. It last erupted in June 2023.
The volcano spewed gas and ash into the air on Monday, forcing schools and roads in the area to close.
Claudine Ugalde, the agency's emergency management secretary, said “there are about 30,000 people at risk in those three (jurisdictions) and we're trying to get them evacuated or on their own.”
The greatest danger is posed by lahars – a mixture of ash, rocks, mud and debris that can bury entire settlements.
The 2018 eruption killed 194 people and left another 234 missing.
Isaac Garcia, 43, a resident of the village of El Porvenir, located on the slopes of the volcano, remembered the tragedy when he and his family decided to follow government warnings and evacuate on Monday morning.
“We were a little worried because the volcano was active a few years ago,” Mr. Garcia said, referring to the 2018 eruption, wearing a mask to protect against falling ash.
The volcano is located 33 miles (53 km) from the capital of Guatemala.
The flow of volcanic material is weak to moderate, but is expected to increase, Guatemala's emergency agency said Monday morning.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
