Guatemala Evacuates Hundreds as Volcán de Fuego Erupts, Spewing Ash, Lava
Guatemalan authorities have evacuated hundreds of residents as Volcán de Fuego, the country’s most active volcano, erupted on Thursday, launching ash and gas thousands of meters into the air and triggering fears of a major disaster.
According to an emergency alert from the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), the volcano began emitting intense heat, gases, and volcanic material that traveled up to 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the crater. The eruption occurred just 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the capital, Guatemala City.
Juan Laureano, spokesperson for CONRED, confirmed that at least 594 people from five communities in the departments of Chimaltenango, Escuintla, and Sacatepequez were relocated to emergency shelters. Officials warned that the number of evacuees could increase as the situation unfolds.
The government has closed a major road connecting southern Guatemala to the historic city of Antigua and suspended classes at 39 schools in affected areas.
Dramatic images shared on social media showed lava streaming down the slopes of the volcano, while ash, rocks, and water rushed through ravines and into nearby areas. Plumes of ash and gas drifted across the northwest, west, and southwest regions surrounding the volcano.
Guatemala’s National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology, and Hydrology (INSIVUMEH) said the eruption could last up to 40 hours, and warned that ash clouds could rise between 3,000 and 7,000 meters (roughly 10,000 to 23,000 feet), potentially disrupting air travel.
Authorities have declared an orange alert, signaling a heightened state of emergency.
Volcán de Fuego, which stands at 3,763 meters (12,350 feet), is one of Central America’s most active volcanoes. It has been the site of multiple dangerous eruptions in recent years, including a deadly 2018 event that killed 215 people and left more than 200 missing when fast-moving lava and pyroclastic flows buried entire communities.
