Guatemala's Fuego Volcano Erupts, Sending Lava into the Air

By Vanessa Buschschlüter | 3 hours ago

The eruption of the Fuego volcano in Guatemala has triggered the evacuation of at least two villages on its slopes.

Fuego, one of the most active volcanoes in the Western Hemisphere, started spewing lava and ash on Monday.

Pyroclastic currents—rivers of gas, volcanic ash and rock fragments—continued to flow down Fuego's south‑eastern slope early on Tuesday, the agency monitoring its activity said.

Disaster-management agency Conred issued a nationwide orange alert, the second highest, and warned locals to be prepared for further pyroclastic flows and billowing ash clouds.

Conred urged people to keep windows and doors closed and cancelled lessons in schools close to the volcano.

Fuego is located just 16 km (10 miles) west of Antigua, a popular tourist city known for its colonial‑era architecture.

The active stratovolcano has also become a popular destination for hikers.

Conred warned visitors and locals to refrain from approaching or staying in areas at risk, especially on the volcano's slopes.

Over 200 people were killed when Fuego erupted in 2018, many caught in fast‑flowing pyroclastic flows that raced down the Las Lajas ravine.

For more details, see the BBC coverage below.