Activity at Guatemala’s Fuego volcano that began on Monday morning and caused widespread evacuations is gradually decreasing, authorities said on Wednesday.
However, the national co-ordinator for disaster reduction (Conred) urged the population to remain cautious because rainfall from a tropical wave from the east could trigger potentially deadly volcanic mudflows known as lahars.
Conred confirmed some people who were evacuated between Monday and Tuesday had returned voluntarily to their homes.
“But the eruptive activity continues, and it is recommended to follow authorities’ instructions regarding preventive evacuation,” the agency said.
About 1,700 people have been evacuated from at least 18 communities on the slopes of Fuego, or the Volcano of Fire, after the eruption started on Monday. No deaths or damage have been reported.
Live broadcasts of the volcano’s activity show periods of complete clarity interspersed with ash emissions. Early on Tuesday morning, the volcano spewed lava that reached a height of about 300m, triggering red alerts, evacuations, a highway closure and the suspension of classes in three departments.
Fuego volcano, one of Guatemala’s most active, has an elevation of 3,768m and is considered a stratovolcano, which is a tall, cone-shaped volcano formed by layers of hard lava, ash and rock. It is located between the departments of Escuintla, Chimaltenango and Sacatepéquez in the southern and central regions of the country and is 53km from Guatemala’s capital.
A volcanic eruption on June 3 2018 killed hundreds of people, wiped out an entire community and affected up to 1.7-million people. An eruption last year spurred preventive evacuations.
AP
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