Mexico City [Mexico], August 5: Guatemala's highly active Volcan de Fuego (Fire Volcano), located around 40 kilometres south-west of the capital, is spewing a column of ash, gases and lava fragments that is rising 4-5 kilometres into the sky, the national disaster management agency posted on X.
The agency, known as CONRED, has declared an orange warning, the second-highest level of preparedness. The first villages near the volcano in the Central American country have had to be evacuated, with residents seeking shelter in emergency accommodation. More than 600 people have been brought to safety, CONRED spokeswoman Valeria Urízar told the Libertopolis radio station. School lessons have also been cancelled.
Urízar said around 29,000 people in various localities are affected by the eruption, including by falling ash.
The ash clouds are currently spreading some 120 kilometres to the west and north-west and could disrupt air traffic in the regions of Chimaltenango and Suchitepequez. CONRED urged the public not to approach this volcano or the ravines located on its south-eastern flank.
In its latest post on X, the Institute of Seismology and Volcanology emphasized that the volcano is currently in its "most intense phase" and that precautionary measures should be taken for areas within a 10-kilometre radius.
Media reported that tourists have climbed the nearby Acatenango volcano despite a ban on ascents to observe the active volcano from there and post videos of it on social media platforms.
The volcano, which stands at just under 3,800 metres, lies on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, the most seismically active zone on Earth, which spans countries from Asia to Latin America.
Source: Qatar Tribune
