Fuego volcano spews more ash and lava as Guatemala shelters 1,700 who fled nearby villages
Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupted on Monday morning, spewing lava and ash. Hundreds of people living on the slopes of the volcano evacuated their homes throughout Tuesday.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupted on Monday morning, spewing lava and ash. Hundreds of people living on the slopes of the volcano evacuated their homes throughout Tuesday. Emergency services issued a red alert, the most severe warning, after the eruption.
Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupted, spewing lava and ash. Hundreds of people living on the slopes of the volcano evacuated their homes. The eruption has caused widespread disruption, with emergency services issuing a red alert.
Analysis
A Volcano in Full Fury
Guatemala's Fuego volcano has erupted, spewing lava and ash into the air. The eruption has caused widespread disruption, with hundreds of people living on the slopes of the volcano evacuating their homes throughout Tuesday. Emergency services issued a red alert, the most severe warning, after the eruption.
The red alert applies to the Sacatepequez, Chimaltenango and Escuintla areas, with a population of 1.6 million. Emergency services director Claudine Ogaldes called on at-risk families to come to shelters voluntarily. "In those spaces, you will find care, support and safe conditions while the volcanic activity continues," she wrote on X.
Fuego had been erupting for 23 hours straight by Tuesday morning, it said, although the intensity was easing slightly. "We've already gotten used to having the volcano constantly active, but this time it was really too much," 50-year-old resident Sonia Vasquez told AFP.
There has so far been no impact on the capital's international airport. The education ministry suspended face-to-face classes in communities within two municipalities near the volcano. Police closed and later reopened a nearby road leading to the colonial city of Antigua, a tourist destination and UNESCO World Heritage site.
Guatemala lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity. There have been several such mass evacuations in recent years because Fuego erupted. Authorities evacuated more than 500 people last year after Fuego spurted out gas and ash, with residents moved to shelters from communities near the crater. Another eruption in 2023 pushed around 1,200 people to evacuate. In 2018, 215 people were killed and a similar number left missing when rivers of lava poured down Fuego's slopes and destroyed a village.
A History of Volcanic Activity
Guatemala's Fuego volcano has a history of erupting, with several such mass evacuations in recent years. The country lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity. The most recent eruption has caused widespread disruption, with hundreds of people living on the slopes of the volcano evacuating their homes throughout Tuesday.
A Call for Caution
The eruption of Fuego volcano is a significant event for Guatemala and the surrounding region. Emergency services have issued a red alert, the most severe warning, after the eruption. The red alert applies to the Sacatepequez, Chimaltenango and Escuintla areas, with a population of 1.6 million. Emergency services director Claudine Ogaldes called on at-risk families to come to shelters voluntarily.
Key points
- Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupted on Monday morning, spewing lava and ash.
- Hundreds of people living on the slopes of the volcano evacuated their homes throughout Tuesday.
- Emergency services issued a red alert, the most severe warning, after the eruption.
- The red alert applies to the Sacatepequez, Chimaltenango and Escuintla areas, with a population of 1.6 million.
- Emergency services director Claudine Ogaldes called on at-risk families to come to shelters voluntarily.
If the eruption subsides, the affected communities may be able to return to their homes and resume their daily lives. The government and emergency services have been working to provide support and shelter to those affected.
The eruption of Fuego volcano has caused widespread disruption, with hundreds of people evacuated from their homes. The red alert issued by emergency services indicates a high level of risk, and the situation may continue to deteriorate.
