Volcano erupts violently in Guatemala, tens of thousands evacuated

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated after the fierce eruptions, the strongest since 1999, of the Fuego volcano (Guatemala), RIA Novosti reported, citing local media today, September 14.

Guatemalan authorities issued the highest alert level, "red", on September 13, after the Fuego volcano (also known as Fire) began spewing ash and smoke 1,000 meters into the sky and lava covering an area of ​​7 square kilometers on the southern slope of the mountain.

According to local media, up to 33,000 people have been evacuated from the area affected by the Fuego volcano, located only about 50 km from Guatemala City, the capital of this Central American country.

AFP quoted expert Gustavo Chigna of the Guatemalan Institute of Geology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology as saying that ash from the 3,763-meter-high volcano had fallen on several nearby villages. Loud tremors from the volcano could be heard from kilometers away.

Local authorities have advised the country's aviation authority that if the ash and smoke from the Fuego volcano rises to an altitude of 1,500 meters, flights in the volcano's affected area should be canceled.

According to Tuoi Tre - DT