The Fuego volcano in southern Guatemala erupted on Sunday, lava flows into nearby rural communities and spewing ash over people and towns. As a result at least 200 people are missing and 75 are dead
Thick clouds of smoke and ash billowed into the sky, and homes in nearby villages were engulfed by lava flows. Temperatures in the lava flow reached 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Eddy Sanchez, director of the country’s Seismology and Volcanology Institute.
The second explosion came Tuesday, with authorities issuing another evacuation order and closing a national highway as hot gas and molten rock descended down the volcano’s southern face.
The Fuego volcano is only 27 miles southwest of the capital Guatemala City, and ash has reached as far as the city’s airport, forcing it to close.
At its peak, the Fuego reaches 12,346 feet above sea level and it is one of the most active volcanoes in Latin America. It sits on the Ring of Fire, a 25,000 mile horseshoe shaped area where several tectonic plates rub against each other, creating intense volcanic activity and earthquakes. Three quarters of the world’s active volcanoes can be found on the Ring of Fire.
The national disaster agency, CONRED, said the ash fall would affect 1.7 million people across the country of 15 million. More than 3,000 have been evacuated from areas threatened by the lava flows and photos show distressed locals fleeing barefoot and covered in mud and ash.
Hundreds of rescue workers have travelled to villages near the volcano to help those trapped inside their homes and to search for bodies. CONRED opened temporary shelters for those who were forced to flee.
There are 58 people in hospital with third-degree burns, the health ministry said on Tuesday night. Six children are to be transferred by military plane to a Texas hospital for treatment and six others to Mexico. Asphyxia was the main cause of death, followed by burns.
Juthy Saha
