Fuego volcano eruption: Guatemala evacuates residents

Authorities in Guatemala have ordered emergency evacuations in several nearby communities following a powerful new eruption of the Fuego volcano, which sent massive plumes of ash and lava towering into the sky.

The eruption, which began on Monday morning, intensified significantly by nightfall, throwing ash and gas nearly six kilometers into the atmosphere.

Live imagery on Tuesday showed thick clouds of volcanic debris obscuring the sky above the crater.

Guatemala's national disaster coordination agency, CONRED, raised the national alert level to "Orange" which is the second-highest threat level just below a full Red alert - indicating a severe emergency.

Emergency teams immediately initiated the evacuation of two villages closest to the volcano, located roughly 35 kilometers southwest of the capital, Guatemala City. Video footage released by rescue services captured the powerful eruption illuminating the night sky in vibrant red hues as fast-moving lava cascades down the slopes of the 3,763-meter peak.

In an official warning issued Tuesday, CONRED cautioned that the volcano is generating pyroclastic flows - hazardous mixtures of superheated volcanic gas, ash, and rock fragments that travel rapidly down the mountain's flanks. Officials also warned surrounding populations about widespread ash-fall.

Guatemala’s Institute of Volcanology (INSIVUMEH) confirmed that the mountain is transitioning into a "more explosive phase," warning that communities situated along the western and southern flanks face the greatest risk from high-temperature debris flows.

Lying along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," Guatemala frequently experiences intense seismic and volcanic events. Volcán de Fuego (Volcano of Fire) stands as one of Central America's most active volcanoes, having prompted multiple mass evacuations over recent years.

Last year, volcanic activity forced the evacuation of over 500 residents to temporary shelters. A similar crisis in 2023 led to the displacement of roughly 1,200 people.

The current activity brings back memories of the catastrophic 2018 eruption, when fast-moving pyroclastic flows engulfed nearby villages, killing at least 215 people and leaving hundreds of others missing.

-SA