Guatemala volcano erupts but no evacuations yet

Guatemala's Fuego volcano spewed lava and ash Thursday in a series of explosions that have not yet forced any evacuations, authorities said.

The eruption produced a long river of lava flowing down to the base of the volcano, some 35 kilometers (22 miles) southwest of the capital Guatemala City, said Emilio Barillas of the Insivumeh volcano institute.

Fuego, 3.7 kilometers high (12,240 feet), is one of three active volcanoes in Guatemala.

The recently-recorded activity is the strongest since June 2018, when Fuego unleashed a torrent of mud and ash that wiped the village of San Miguel Los Lotes from the map, said Barillas.

More than 200 people were killed.

On Thursday, several communities at the foot of the mountain reported nothing more serious than a downpour of ash, said the Conred disaster coordination center.

"For now, no evacuation program has been initiated," said Conred spokesman David de Leon, though the situation was being closely followed.

© 2021 AFP